‘Some people are concerned that introducing an additional cost to visiting Wales could discourage potential tourists’, says Beverley Boden, head of department for aviation, tourism, finance and marketing at Teesside University International Business School.

“The implementation of a tourist tax or visitor levy is a complex issue with varying perspectives, and it’s crucial to consider the impact on all stakeholders involved. While the primary objective is to foster a more sustainable and responsible approach to tourism, it’s important to balance the economic benefits with visitor experience and environmental preservation.

“One potential benefit of a visitor levy is the opportunity to raise funds for public services and sustainable development, supporting local infrastructure, conservation efforts, and community projects, benefitting both residents and visitors alike. Encouraging visitors to contribute financially to the places they visit can also promote more responsible tourism practices, such as supporting eco-friendly accommodations, local businesses, and cultural heritage.

“However, some are concerned that introducing an additional cost to visiting Wales could discourage potential tourists or be perceived as a burden. It’s essential to approach this issue with sensitivity and diplomacy, ensuring transparency, fairness, and clear guidelines that are easy to understand.

“Collaboration between local communities, key stakeholders, and authorities is crucial to ensure that the levy aligns with community needs and tourism goals, fostering a sense of shared responsibility. Continual evaluation and flexibility in the approach are also necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the tourism sector in Wales.

“Tourist taxes or levies have been successfully implemented in many destinations, contributing to both revenue generation and sustainable tourism practices. However, proper implementation, clear communication, and ongoing evaluation are necessary for success.

“The primary objective of the visitor levy is to raise additional revenue for local authorities to reinvest in the public services and infrastructure that make tourism a success in Wales, while ensuring fairness and transparency for all stakeholders involved.

“Tourism provides a significant economic contribution to Wales, with tourism-related expenditure exceeding £5 billion in 2019. Therefore, it’s crucial to approach this issue with sensitivity, diplomacy, and collaboration among stakeholders, considering the perspectives of all parties involved.

“Collaborative approaches, including early consultation before implementation, will ensure a sustainable and responsible tourism industry in Wales while balancing the needs of the economy, the environment, and the visitor experience.

“It is worth acknowledging that the introduction of hotel taxes in renowned European hotspots initially created some tension between visitors and service providers. However, it’s important to recognize that if tourists perceive the benefits of these taxes, they will no longer consider them as an additional payment but rather as an investment in the rejuvenation of the tourism industry.

“On Saturday, April 1, 2023, the Manchester Accommodation Business Improvement District (BID) began its operations as a pioneering initiative led by Manchester’s hotels and serviced apartment providers. The aim of this initiative is to provide better visitor experiences and attract more staying visitors to the city.

“The Manchester Accommodation BID will enable Manchester to better compete in the global market and increase overnight visits at a time when a significant amount of new supply is set to join the Manchester and Salford accommodation market, with 5,850 confirmed new bedrooms incoming across the city-region within the coming years.

“To finance its activities, the Manchester Accommodation BID will utilise the City Visitor Charge – a supplementary £1 charge per room/unit per night for guests, added to the final accommodation bill. This charge will apply to all bookings from April 1, 2023, and will be collected from 73 hotels and serviced apartments that fall within the Manchester ABID Zone.

“The Manchester Accommodation BID funds will be used to amplify marketing campaigns that drive overnight stays, secure large-scale events, conferences, and festivals in low-season months, improve guest welcome and street cleanliness, and provide opportunities to future-proof the city’s growing accommodation sector and wider visitor economy.

“The Manchester Accommodation BID is a timely response to the challenges currently facing the accommodation sector in Manchester, including the recovery from the pandemic and the impact of Brexit on the hospitality industry. This new initiative will help create a more robust and sustainable accommodation sector in Manchester, maximise opportunities to increase occupancy, and ensure that the city remains a top tourist destination.”

The post Is a Welsh tourist tax a good idea? appeared first on Globetrender.

Women are ‘uniquely positioned to lead the fight for sustainability’, says Aradhana Khowala, founder and CEO of Aptamind Partners, and chair of Saudi’s Red Sea Global tourism development company.

Tell us about the work you do at Aptamind Partners.

“I founded my consultancy, Aptamind Partners, with the aim of improving three key pillars within the international travel and tourism industry – sustainability, community empowerment, and diversity and inclusion. With a vision to create industry-wide change, we work with political stakeholders, emerging destinations and public and private sector firms around the world to implement ESG [environmental, sustainability and governance] strategies that will not only drive economic growth, but actively result in positive outcomes for the local communities affected by or reliant on tourism.

“Underpinning our advisory work is the belief that tourism can be a force for good that actively removes inequalities, improves working conditions, decarbonises and makes the world better. I am certain that the most profitable businesses of the future, including those operating within tourism, will be the ones who are solving the world’s biggest challenges – such as achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.”

What does your role as chair of Red Sea Global‘s advisory board entail?

“As a member of Red Sea Global’s (RSG) Advisory Board, I offer guidance to the company’s leadership team as they work to develop two ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, the Red Sea and Amaala [in Saudi Arabia]. The board is made up of world-renowned and multi-national industry experts including real estate developers, engineering professionals, environmental specialists, experience designers, wellness consultants and project finance experts. Together, we use our expertise to help RSG achieve its ambition to set new international standards in responsible development.”

Why did women in tourism suffer disproportionately from job losses, furlough and redundancy during the pandemic?

“When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the entire travel and tourism industry went into sharp decline, with furlough and redundancies widespread as a result of lockdowns and travel restrictions. Women disproportionately bared the brunt of the sector grinding to a halt. There are a few reasons for this…

“For one, the global shutdown created an unprecedented caregiving crisis and women fell back into their traditional roles. Secondly, job losses predominantly hit junior and mid-management roles where women over-indexed. Third, nearly 80 per cent of the sector is small medium and micro enterprises which are owned and run by women, and they did not have the same access to the financial support or furlough schemes in the informal employment system.

“Yet tourism has proven to be a resilient industry. By the end of 2023, it is expected to bounce back to just 5 per cent shy of its peak GDP contribution in 2019. With this growth, women have re-entered the sector and once again make up over half of the global tourism workforce, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (March 2023). And while there is now a higher proportion of women in leadership, there is still more to be done to ensure they have the same opportunities as men.”

“The World Bank ranked Saudi Arabia as the top economy for the most progress toward gender equality.”

What does gender inequality in tourism look like in 2023?

“Having recently carried out research on gender equality within the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, my team at Aptamind Partners found that only 7 per cent of the top jobs within the sector are currently held by women. The data shows that while there is gender balance in the overall workforce, there is a critical need for programs to address the substantial imbalance across leadership roles and support women with career advancement.”

How can tourism become more gender equitable? And what can travel companies and tourism boards do to support women in tourism?

“Equity in its truest form cannot be achieved in isolation. All key players within an organisation, from leadership to middle management, must work together to create an open dialogue and build a response to support women at all levels. As a first step, companies should carry out internal reviews that will provide them with the data needed to identify their key challenges, ahead of developing and rolling out solutions.

“It is crucial for companies and tourism boards to commit to a set of goals that will foster equity. If you are serious about gender diversity, we need to acknowledge that it can only happen by design, not by default. We need to proactively design a culture of intention by treating gender diversity as if your business survival depends on it. Only then will the playing field be level.”

What does it mean to make “genuine commitments to equality”?

“Gender parity specifically has never been higher on the agenda for many companies and great strides have also been made but sometimes, good intentions are not good enough. Because, we need not only a change in numbers but also a change in mindset, change in the associated behaviour and in corporate cultures to ensure true gender parity.

“Genuine commitments to equality require transparency, acknowledgement of existing imbalances and inequalities, as well as the implementation of frameworks to address existing issues. Effective policies must be implemented to increase equality in the workplace, such as better disclosure of diversity, equity and inclusivity reporting, introducing specialist training courses, and incentivising progress. Companies must also hold themselves to account by consistently measuring progress and reporting key outcomes and next steps.”

“Never has there been a more promising, more optimistic time to be a woman in Saudi Arabia, as opportunities are replacing barriers and cultural limitations are giving way to social transformation.”

What do women’s rights in Saudi Arabia look like today? (Saudi ranks very low for gender equality globally.)

“As part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has embarked on a series of social reforms to modernise the country and promote greater equality and opportunity for its citizens, which has significantly fuelled its economic growth. One major area of reform has been women’s empowerment, which has created societal change for women. By lifting restrictions on women and promoting greater equality and opportunity, the government has helped to expand the workforce and increase productivity.

“The immense scale of these changes and their unprecedented pace are both noteworthy. The impact is clearly evident in the domestic landscape, including a positive impact on various sectors of the economy, particularly education, healthcare, tourism, technology, renewable energy, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

“In Saudi Arabia, there has also been an undeniable shift in recent years – especially in terms of hiring practices. Vision 2030, which aims to increase female participation in the workforce throughout the Kingdom, has been instrumental in driving change and creating more job opportunities for women. In fact, the Kingdom met its target of achieving 30 per cent female labor force participation almost ten years ahead of schedule.

“As of last year, 37 per cent of women are in work. There has also been a decline in female unemployment rates from 33 per cent in 2017, to 10 per cent in 2022. The reforms have also led to rising female incomes, a declining gender pay gap and high growth in dual-income households fuelled by more women becoming financially independent. As a result, in its 2020 Women, Business and the Law Report, the World Bank ranked Saudi Arabia as the top economy for the most progress toward gender equality.”

What does the future of gender equality in tourism look like in Saudi Arabia?

“Never has there been a more promising, more optimistic time to be a woman in Saudi Arabia, as opportunities are replacing barriers and cultural limitations are giving way to social transformation. Women comprise 60 percent of the nation’s university graduates — even in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“The participation rate of females in the tech sector was 28 per cent in 2021, above the European average of 17.5 per cent. Also, 16 per cent of all startup founders in Saudi Arabia are women, while they constitute 14 per cent of the startups in the Middle East and North Africa.

“These changes would have been unimaginable only a few years ago. Today some women are CEOs, bankers, soldiers, athletes, ambassadors, hijab-wearing supermodels, firefighters, ballerinas, commercial pilots, race car drivers, scientists and Uber drivers. And when women have their full voice, power and influence in society, they will change things differently because women have a different lens on culture.

“We know that there is a clear business case for gender diversity as well as diverse leadership teams. Organisations that fail to take this on board are set to lose out. This is being kept front of mind in Saudi Arabia, particularly in relation to tourism. The Kingdom has launched a host of initiatives set to benefit both men and women currently working or looking to break into the industry.

“For instance, it has launched a human capital development strategy, which aims to attract more Saudi nationals to the sector. And with over 80 per cent of young Saudis believing that a career in tourism and hospitality will give them the salary and resources they expect to sustain themselves, gender equality in tourism is well placed to substantially improve.”

“Saudi Arabia brought equal pay into law for men and women in 2018.”

What jobs will women be able to do?

“Women can and do hold the same jobs as their male counterparts. At Red Sea Global, for instance, women are playing a key role in every single department, from master planning to construction, from scientific research to developing the guest experiences.”

Will they be able to do everything men do and earn the same salaries?

“Saudi Arabia brought equal pay into law for men and women in 2018. RSG not only adheres to this because it’s a legal requirement, but because it places equal value on the contributions of all staff, regardless of gender, and strive to be an inclusive employer and a socially responsible company.”

What is Red Sea Global doing to create a working environment where everyone is equally recognised across all levels?

“RSG’s commitment to gender equality is reflected in its corporate policies and practices. It scrutinises and assesses job postings for every level to ensure that gender neutral language is used, so as not to discourage women from applying. As well as this, the company ensures that at least one female candidate is on the shortlist of individuals being considered for each role.​ True diversity and inclusion is not only about gender and in that context. It was an especially special moment when Red Sea Global committed to develop fully accessible destinations.

“To drive this leading commitment to accessible tourism, RSG will now require all its employees, consultants and partners to follow the UN-backed standard, ISO 21902 – Accessible Tourism for All, throughout their work. The objective is to ensure guests enjoy RSG destinations with equity and dignity through the delivery of spaces, products and services, irrespective of physical or cognitive ability. This initiative will extend to all aspects of RSG’s ecosystem, further benefitting employees, local communities and partners.”

“The ambition is to grow tourism’s share of GDP to the Kingdom from 3 per cent to 10 per cent.”

What initiatives is RSG launching to empower women in tourism?

“While Saudi Arabia has long had a strong religious tourism offering, its wider leisure tourism proposition is still very much in its infancy. The ambition is to grow tourism’s share of GDP to the Kingdom from 3 per cent to 10 per cent. Achieving this requires a largescale recruitment exercise – one that cannot be focused solely on one gender.

“This includes a host of training initiatives designed to upskill ambitious Saudi talent, such as a program with the University of Prince Mugrin that offers both theory and hands on experience, accredited by the École hôtelière de Lausanne. We’re proud to have awarded 170 scholarships to high school students for this to date. An additional 700 vocational training places have been provided and this summer, RSG celebrated the first batch of graduates from the Red Sea Vocational Training Program.

“It is now placing those 430 students into roles with Red Sea Global and operational partners at the Red Sea destination. These roles and opportunities are highly appealing to women, for the same reasons that tourism is appealing for women around the world. While these programs are open to men and women equally, Red Sea Global is committed to empowering women in tourism and is working to significantly increase the number of female workers at the company.”

“Sustainability is no longer enough. After decades of chronic exploitation and impacts, our ecosystems and environment are depleted in both abundance and in health… RSG is now working towards achieving a 30 per cent net conservation benefit at its destinations by 2040 – by not just protecting but enhancing the surrounding environment.”

What does regenerative tourism mean to Red Sea Global (RSG) and Saudi Arabia?

“As a developer creating new destinations in areas previously untouched by tourism, it is incumbent upon us to ensure we are developing sustainably and responsibly. Not just this, but we say that sustainability is no longer enough. After decades of chronic exploitation and impacts, our ecosystems and environment are depleted in both abundance and in health.

“Conserving environments that are already in this weakened state is not good enough. That is why RSG has chosen to pioneer a new model of development that goes beyond simply protecting the natural environment to actually improving it for future generations to treasure and enjoy – a concept we term ‘regenerative tourism’.

“RSG has embraced this ethos of regenerative tourism from the very beginning. Before a shovel hit the ground, scientists were sent in to catalogue and assess the stunning biodiversity of The Red Sea destination area. Based on what they learned through a large-scale Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) exercise, we drew up a master plan that ensured minimal disruption to the surrounding environment and determined our ecological ceiling in many respects, including visitor numbers.

“We decided to develop just 1 per cent of the entire 28,000 sq km area – a site that’s the size of a small country – and to leave the rest untouched. We are developing just 22 of the more than 90 islands in our archipelago, and we’ve designated nine islands as special conservation zones. RSG is now working towards achieving a 30 per cent net conservation benefit at its destinations by 2040 – by not just protecting but enhancing the surrounding environment.

“Socio-economic regeneration is a central part of this ethos. Tourism is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s vision to diversify its economy, by directly and indirectly creating exciting job opportunities for Saudi talent. ‘Souq Amerah’ is an example of how RSG is achieving this. It is the first market to highlight the authentic products of Umluj, a town near to the Red Sea destination, allowing local artisans and food producers to sell different foods, merchandise, crafts and other products in a fun, lively and entertaining atmosphere.

“Additionally, RSG has co-founded Tamala a cooperative comprising 3000 farms, facilitating their access to new markets and ensuring fair prices for their crops. The ultimate aim of regenerative tourism is to build a better future for both people and planet.”

“Our purpose-built battery storage facility will be the largest in the world, and we have recently completed the installation of more than 760,000 photovoltaic panels needed to power phase one of the destination.”

Tell us about some of RSG’s regenerative travel credentials and innovations.

“RSG takes an innovative, science-led approach to everything it does, using data driven processes to inform decision-making and management of all activities across the destination. As discussed above, before a shovel hit the ground, before a single designer, architect or hotelier stepped onto the site, we sent scientists in to catalogue and assess the destination area. We even published the results in a scientific journal.

“Its in-house team of scientists is not only helping to monitor for environmental impacts, but to actually achieve our regeneration ambitions. RSG’s coral gardening program is led by an expert team who are helping us to grow new coral colonies. They are using artificial intelligence to monitor coral growth and detect minute changes over time. This allowed us to confirm that corals in the nurseries grow faster than on the natural reef. Where corals must be relocated, this team has achieved a 95 per cent success rate versus a global average of 40-70 per cent.

“Beyond our scientific research, we are leveraging the most innovative concepts and technologies in development. For our Sheybarah Island resort, for example, we’re installing prefabricated stainless-steel, orb-shaped villas that ship to us ready-made. This significantly reduces waste, noise pollution, soil erosion and general site disturbance with fewer people required on site.

“We are not afraid to take calculated risks to help us reduce our impact and solve the world’s most complex challenges. For instance, we are working with ZeroAvia to explore the development of hydrogen-powered seaplanes.”

“We’re also proud to be pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with renewable energy. Both the Red Sea and Amaala will be powered by 100 per cent renewables by the time they are fully operational, with the resulting saving in CO2 emissions to the atmosphere across both projects equivalent to a million tons each year.

“At the Red Sea, our purpose-built battery storage facility will be the largest in the world at 1200MWh, and we have recently completed the installation of more than 760,000 photovoltaic panels needed to power phase one of the destination. The utilities at Six Senses Southern Dunes, the Red Sea, which will be the first hotel to open at the Red Sea, are already being powered by these solar farms.

“We are not afraid to take calculated risks to help us reduce our impact and solve the world’s most complex challenges. For instance, we are working with ZeroAvia to explore the development of hydrogen-powered seaplanes. We’ve also established a pilot project using Partanna’s carbon-negative concrete, which could play a crucial role in helping us become carbon negative. The easier option would have been to outsource our social responsibility, but we are testing and delivering the ideas that will shape the future of the tourism sector, the Kingdom and the planet.”

“If we improve the prospects for women, we improve living standards, health outcomes and prosperity for all.”

In what way is gender equality linked to regeneration?

“At the heart of RSG’s regenerative tourism vision is people and planet. While this absolutely means restoration of the local environment, it also means actively improving and investing in the wellbeing of customers, communities and staff. Much of the focus of regenerative tourism thus far has been on reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact but real progress requires solutions that also incorporate social impact, and in particular, gender equity into the solution.

“While gender equality and regenerative tourism may seem like unrelated issues, research shows that women are uniquely positioned to lead the fight for sustainability and are crucial to make the leap to being restorative, reparative and regenerative as an industry.

“Specific to the role of women, tourism also employs a lot more women 54 per cent compared to 39 per cent in wider economy. So, the ability to impact change for women in particular is a lot more in tourism. As part of this, we are dedicated to providing equal opportunities to our female workforce: offering access to training and, ensuring all employees are equipped with the skills, support and benefits that they need to thrive.

“If we improve the prospects for women, we improve living standards, health outcomes and prosperity for all. This is the essence of social regeneration. If we want a sector with a more positive footprint on the environment and society, we need bold organizations that are committed to ensure women and girls have the opportunity to make decisions, control resources, and reach their full potential. Advancing gender equality in the workplace and in society is a critical success factor to achieve that regenerative agenda.”

The post The future of gender equality and tourism in Saudi Arabia appeared first on Globetrender.

According to the World Health Organisation, 1.3 billion people (or one in six of us) experience “significant disability”. Rosanna Chopra, executive director of destination development, for Red Sea Global reveals how Saudi Arabia plans to become the world’s most accessible holiday destination.

The forthcoming Red Sea destination on the west coast of Saudi Arabia is on track to welcome its first guests this year when the first three hotels and phase one of the Red Sea International airport opens. Upon completion in 2030, it will comprise 50 resorts, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. Phase one of Amaala will be ready to welcome its first guests in 2024.

“We pledge to pursue a total commitment to accessible tourism from day one. As a visionary developer, we have the chance to build in accessibility from the ground up, creating exceptional experiences for every visitor to treasure, regardless of their physical or cognitive ability.”

John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global

Rosanna – tell us about Red Sea Global’s new accessible tourism initiative and what inspired you to spearhead it?

“I have a special needs daughter called Aurelia. She has a very rare brain condition called lissencephaly. When she was a baby it was easier to manoeuvre her around but now she’s 11, she’s grown a lot so travelling with her is becoming more complicated. And it’s not just the airport – airports are usually amazing. My youngest child loves travelling with her big sister because she doesn’t have to queue. Where the real challenge comes is at a destination. Often they have badly built assets or assets that were not built with disability or accessibility in mind. And the cost to retrofit them is significant.

“So I started thinking – could bring Aurelia to Saudi Arabia? When I started to look into it, yes I could, but what could Red Sea Global be doing that would make the experience better? I studied the UN-backed standard, ISO 21902, for accessible tourism and could see that many things were being done, but there were many things we needed to do. I presented my idea to our group CEO John Pagano in January 2023 and he approved – and not just for the Red Sea Project, but for every project in the Red Sea Global portfolio. We have called it ‘Project Aurelia’.”

What will this look like in reality? What kinds of improvements will there be on the ground?

“The ISO guidelines are very well written out. You have everything from built area and mobility, to operations, to wayfinding and signage, to experience design and destination marketing. It really sets out the framework for what you must follow. So firstly it’s about raising awareness of visitor accessibility needs and the disability services so we can provide support.

“Then we will look at adaptive equipment for sailing, diving, stand-up paddle boarding, and for people who want to go on adventures in the desert. There is so much new and amazing stuff becoming available. Our diving subsidiary, Galaxea, will even provide PADI-certified adaptive support divers.”

For a lot of people, when they think of accessible travel, they think of just the sort of practical logistics of sort of getting around in a wheelchair like and don’t really think beyond that. But it’s also about how to have fun holiday with a disability isn’t it?

“You’re absolutely right. That’s what people think. They think, do we have a ramp? Do we have an ambulift? But I am asking ‘how can we as a family can happily go on holiday?’ That’s where the industry currently has a challenge because in so many instances, it’s almost easier to leave Aurelia at home where she would be more comfortable, more settled. But then we as a family become fragmented in our down time. This whole initiative goes beyond addressing the mandatory things.

“There’s also the adventure and the excursion opportunities for children with autism, with ADHD, right through to physical disabilities and major neurological disabilities but also people who are going through physical rehabilitation after an accident or surgery. It’s the experience part that is a real anchor.”

Tell us how Project Aurelia will help “regenerate humans” who visit Saudi Arabia?

“Project Aurelia is also about regenerating humans. Consider the fact that 80 per cent of parents of children with special needs get divorced. Sometimes days are really dark and your heart hurts so much – you wonder how you’re going to move to the next point. And when two parents are trying to deal with that level of pain and hurt, often they have to do it as individuals. It’s a very difficult thing to do together.

“Where I’ve been so fortunate in my life is my family are up trees, on boats, on paddle boards – we are out doing everything and are very practical. Aurelia is included in everything, even if it means hoisting her on to a boat, using a winch, which it is not meant for hoisting people. What I’m saying is that my husband and I have been lucky enough to bank a lot of positive, happy experiences as a united family, which have helped us get through the really difficult times.

“What we want to do through our adventure company Akun, for example, is create experiences that help people have a sense of achievement and accomplishment, and help them develop courage and resilience. We want to help families bank these positive experiences that will make them stronger. People with impairments also get so tired of dealing with it. It’s draining. So if they have moments where they’re okay and they have peace, they themselves will feel stronger.

“Red Sea wants you to leave as a better version of yourself – that’s always been our ethos. It’s more than coming and getting a sun tan and perhaps learning a new skill and eating some great food and having a wonderful time. It’s the broader commitment that we’re making to accessibility.”

Are there any other destinations or resorts that you’re looking at that are doing this well at the moment?

“It’s been interesting to see Queensland in Australia. They’ve made a real commitment and what’s been impressive there is how they are empowering local businesses. There is also a brilliant initiative in Greece to make hundreds of their beaches accessible through a partnership with Seatrac.”

What’s next for Saudi Arabia as an accessible tourism destination?

“People with limited mobility and those who need accessibility support will be welcomed from day one, when the first hotel opens. Can we do things better? Must we do things better? Will this be an ongoing process? 100 per cent. But going forward, every single design brief and every consultant we engage with must stipulate in their RFP or in their awarded contract that they must adhere to the ISO standard. We no longer accept submissions from entities where they have not factored this in.

“We won’t get it all right on day one. But if all we do is try and apply the same gentleness and softness and humility of the very child who inspired this, and we continue with that same honesty and humility that John leads the entire organisation with, I’m quite confident we’ll do great things that will contribute to something that goes beyond the boundaries of Saudi Arabia.”

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From a US$2 billion roll-out of premium economy to the delivery of cutting-edge aircraft, Globetrender speaks to Emirates divisional vice-president UK, Richard Jewsbury, about what’s coming next for the Dubai-based airline.

How has Emirates recovered since the pandemic?

“We have had a rapid recovery – we are at more than 90 per cent of the seat capacity we had before the Covid crisis. From an overall network perspective, we’re back to about 150 destinations globally. The next new route will be Dubai-Montreal from July. We’ve got all the B777s flying and, by the end of the summer, we will have 80 A380s operating across about 50 destinations globally.”

How about from a UK perspective?

“The UK’s running well and we’re seeing really high levels of sustained demand. We’ve got seven UK gateways operating: London Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted, as well as Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow. Across those gateways we’ve got 18 flights a day departing with 9,200 seats. We had an A380 superjumbo upgrade on Glasgow at the end of March and on the May 1 we put the second Stansted flight back in. On July 1, we’re upgrading one of the two Birmingham flights to an A380.”

During the pandemic many airlines started retiring their double-decker A380s, which are the biggest aircraft in the sky (the densest configuration with Emirates is 650 seats), as experts didn’t think there would be great enough volumes of air passengers to fill the planes in the future. What do you say to that now?

“That kind of made me laugh at the time. At the end of the day, we’ve got a growing global population. We’ve got the emerging middle classes in Asia and the Far East and travel’s part of people’s DNA. We all need to travel. We want to travel, whether it’s for leisure or business. So from our perspective and certainly my perspective, we always knew the A380 would be a cornerstone of the fleet. At the end of the day, there’s not very many new airports being built globally or very many new runways added, certainly, in the West [so if you can’t fly more planes you have to fly bigger ones].

“We never lost faith in the A380. The customers love the product. We operate 11 flights a day to London at the moment and nine of those are A380s. We have six A380 services into Heathrow and Heathrow’s not going to get it third runway anytime soon. So we need the big aircraft and they operate full. They’re a very important part of our fleet and they’ll be operating within Emirates for many years to come.” (Here’s a photo of the first class shower suites onboard the A380.)

Tell us about your new premium economy product.

“We are spending US$2 billion on upgrading the interiors of 120 aircraft over a period of about two years. And that will include the installation of our new premium economy product. It’s distinct from economy class in a variety of ways – as you’d expect to get a bigger seat, more legroom and more width. It’s a lovely, comfortable seat with enhanced service as well.

“At the moment from the UK premium economy is available on three of our flights from Heathrow to Dubai. The initial roll-out is focusing on longer routes such as Dubai to Melbourne, Sydney, Christchurch and Auckland, where people really value the extra comfort and space. It’s also being progressively rolled out from Europe to Dubai and North America into Dubai.”

Apart from the new premium economy cabin, how is the Emirates passenger experience evolving?

“We’ve created a whole new vegan menu and for those in first class, we’ve got a new champagne and caviar product with an exclusive Dom Perignon champagne from 2008.

“Onboard service is an essential part of our product and our brand so we’re investing in crew training and trying to move it away from being just ‘service’ to really being ‘hospitality’.

“By the time that the A350s turn up, we will have the latest, greatest wifi on board, and the latest, greatest in-flight entertainment.

“In terms of airport biometrics, we’ve just announced we’re going paperless boarding in Dubai. We want to use biometrics and automation to try and make the customer journey as as easy and smooth as possible. Emirates is always trying to push ahead – they’re not shy of making the investment.”

How long do you think the existing A380 have left to fly before they are retired?

“Airbus have stopped producing the A380 so sadly we can’t order any more – we would have liked to and we would have liked to see an even bigger A380 as well. We’ll still be seeing them flying in 2035 and in all likelihood through to the early 2040s.”

Tell us about some of the sustainability initiatives Emirates is working on.

“We recently did a demonstration flight with one of our B777 aircraft where we operated it with one engine fully running on SAF [sustainable aviation fuel]. In fact we’ve just created a US$200 million, research and development fund to dedicated to looking at how to minimise the environmental impact of our operations and jet fuel.

“We also ‘dry wash’ our aircraft, which saves about 11 million litres of water a year. We have launched a joint venture with a company called Bustanica to create a vertical farm that is bringing leafy greens straight on board the aircraft in Dubai. It grows those greens with 95% less water [than traditional agricultural methods]. We recycle about 500,000kg of glass and plastic every year, and the blankets we use on board are made from recycled plastic.”

What are your plans for growth as an airline over the next few years?

“At the moment the, the focus is very much on getting the existing fleet back in service and getting the retrofit programme and the premium economy programme completed. Future fleet growth will come through orders of A350 aircraft, which will start arriving next summer. Not long after that we will receive new B777-X planes that will replace the older B777s we currently have. That will turbocharge growth as we move forward.

“The expectation is that by the mid 2030s, we’ll have a fleet of about 300 aircraft, up from about 250 today. The smaller A350s will be useful for opening up new routes and giving us the ability to expand into secondary markets that we couldn’t economically serve at the moment.”

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Globetrender speaks with Emily Goldfischer, founder and editor-in-chief of online media platform Hertelier, about female leadership, gender equity, trans inclusivity and support for working mothers.

What is Hertelier?

“Hertelier is an online media platform that enlightens and inspires women in hospitality to pursue, navigate, and nurture their careers at every stage, through sharing information and sparking conversation.

“Our content is curated through the lens of supporting women in their hotel industry careers-sharing valuable lessons from accomplished pros and rising stars, covering business skills, work-life balance, industry news, and networking opportunities-presented in a fresh voice, with bold graphics and social media integration.”

How is it innovative?

“Hertelier is innovative as we are laser-focused on the issues, topics, and stories that are most important and interesting to women. It also turns out that those stories are also interesting to men.”

What is your background and why did you set it up?

“After working in hotels and studying hotel management at Cornell University, I fell into the marketing end of the business. I started right after university working for a public relations agency that specialized in hotels, resorts, destinations, and cruise lines.

“I took a break to go back to school, actually coming here to study at the London School of Economics, getting my masters in Social Psychology, and learning more about the underpinnings of how people act and why they make decisions.

“Despite hoping to stay in London, I was unable to secure a work permit as an American and went back to New York City, returning to the same PR agency which was very busy. I began working on the Hyatt Resorts account, among others, helping them launch programs for families, golfers, and wellness.

“From there I went in-house to run the communications and public relations for Loews Hotels, which I did for ten years, an amazing experience as we launched several exciting branded programmes and opened about ten new hotels, three onsite at Universal Orlando.

“In 2010, my husband was offered the chance to move to London for his career, and we thought it was a great opportunity for our family. Relocating with two small children, I flipped to journalism and became the London correspondent for Luxury Travel Advisor, which I still do.

“It is no secret that the hotel industry has historically been very male-dominated, and it still is, with about one woman for every ten executives in the C-suite. About five years ago I noticed a shift – that women were moving into bigger roles within the hotel industry-leading brands or getting marquee general manager jobs at iconic city hotels and mega-resorts.

“I felt there was an audience that wanted to hear more about these women, and that the industry needed a space where future generations of women could be inspired. During the pandemic, in March of 2021, I decided to create Hertelier to fill that void.”

Can you describe your business model?

“After building an engaged audience over the last two years, we have just launched our partnership programme this month. I’m pleased to report that eight companies have already signed on – Hyatt, IHG, Loews Hotels, Red Roof, Extended Stay America, a start-up hotel brand called Roomza, a tech platform, Thynk, JLL Hotels, the real estate advisor, and the forward-thinking design firm, David Collins Studio. We have a few more partnerships in the works that I cannot announce yet, but definitely pleased to see companies looking to promote and support women in leadership.”

What are your plans for growth?

“Building more partnerships for sponsored content, doing events, and down the line research, and possibly education. In the short term, we are working on developing a few breakfast events in London and New York for later this year.”

What trends do you predict for the role of women in the travel industry?

“Great question, I actually made seven predictions for this year, which you can read on Hertelier and they include: seeing more women take on leadership roles; more inclusivity in the industry with more female leaders, more innovation by women in everything from branding to sustainability to technology. We are also seeing more women entrepreneurs, women going into hotel ownership, and more women helping each other to succeed through networking and creating associations to support women navigating their careers.”

What does gender equity in the travel industry look like?

“Depending on which research you use, the travel workforce is anywhere from 50-70 per cent female across all levels but shrinks to about 10 per cent in leadership. Equality will see a 50-50 split at the top and gender equity will see the industry look for ways to give women, and minorities, the opportunity and support to reach for those higher rungs of the corporate ladder.

“Systemic change needs to happen to create this support, from the government helping with childcare as we just saw announced in the UK, to more flexible scheduling, to companies creating programmes like RISE at IHG for female GMs and the Women@Hyatt program at Hyatt to give women the opportunities to build their management skills and move up.”

How do you serve the trans community – do you represent trans women?

“We definitely are interested to support and create awareness around the issues that are important to trans women. We recently ran a story about how gendered language can impact both hotel workers and guests that are non-binary or trans, focused on the Pan Pacific London which recently ran a training programme on the topic.”

Which travel and hospitality are leading the way when it comes to supporting female and nonbinary LGBTQ+ staff?

“Across the board, you are seeing developmental programs for women at all the big hotel companies, IHG with their Journey to Tomorrow and their RISE program for female GMs, Hyatt with the Women@Hyatt, and Marriott has their Women Ambassador Network to name a few.

“In terms of LGBTQ+ staff, we are seeing the beginnings of programmes to support these groups, and while these things need time to take hold, progress is happening. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, smaller companies are able to make change happen faster.

“Canadian brand Accent Inns has a very inclusive environment that has won the company numerous awards for being ‘a best employer in Canada’. In the LGBTQ+ space certainly, Pan Pacific London, mentioned before, has taken a leadership role. At the end of the day, numerous studies have shown that the more diverse teams companies have, the more profitable they are, so hopefully, change is inevitable.”

Which travel and hospitality are leading the way when it comes to women in C-suite positions?

“Looking at hotel industry executive moves, there is much to celebrate in recent appointments: Amber Asher, CEO of Standard International; Katerina Giannouka, Jumeirah CEO; Maud Bailly, CEO at Accor of MGallery, Sofitel, and Emblems; Jillian Katcher, President, Twin Bridges Hospitality; Danielle Schneider, CEO, Pathfinder Hospitality, and Julie Arrowsmith, was named interim CEO for G6 Hospitality.

“Tina Edmundson was just promoted to President, luxury, at Marriott International, which also has a long-time female CFO who now leads development, Leeny Oberg. Here in the UK, IHG has four women in a total of ten C-suite roles. These women leaders are not just inspiring others, but they are also promoting more women on their teams. Women seem to feel a responsibility to ‘lift as they climb’.”

Which travel and hospitality are leading the way when it comes to supporting working mothers?

“Childbearing, while a blessing, still remains a challenge and set-back for working women across all sectors and industries, as women are seen as the default carers throughout our lives, with expectations and responsibilities men still do not share equally, generally speaking. This is why we are also seeing unprecedented levels of burnout among women. Government-led systemic change is needed and companies should be lobbying for this.

“The pandemic has spurred on some change, on the one hand, many women dropped out of the workforce, though many have returned as more roles have become remote and flexible which does allow women the opportunity for progression.

“In terms of specific programs, Hilton recently announced and upgraded their benefits, with a ‘Care For All’ platform designed to help employees through all stages of life with resources for: Eldercare, Childcare, Pet Care and Self Care. US Team Members also receive unlimited access to a Care Concierge.”

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From renewed spending among Chinese travellers to the evolution of modern families, Choon Wah Wong – co-head of the Middle East, India, Europe and Americas for Shangri-La Group – speaks to Globetrender about the changing face of luxury hospitality.

What makes Shangri-La unique as a luxury hotel brand?

“Our founder Robert Kuok believed Asian hospitality had something different to offer the world of travel. He believed that the Asian approach to hospitality – informal, heartfelt and genuine – was the bedrock of so many Asian cultures. Our service style, ‘hospitality from the heart’, has been the cornerstone of the Shangri-La experience and is now admired the world over.”

What new Shangri-La openings are in the pipeline?

“Today we operate over 100 hotels in over 76 destinations globally. We recently opened Shangri-La Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, marking our entry into the Kingdom and three properties in Mainland China – Shangri-La Nanning, Shangri-La Qiantan in Shanghai and Shangri-La Shougang Park in Beijing. This year Shangri-La Phnom Penh will debut in Cambodia, our first property in the country.

“Also set to open this year is the group’s first standalone lifestyle and entertainment precinct called the Palawan at Sentosa, on Sentosa Island, located off the coast of Singapore. The Palawan will include attractions such as HyperDrive, a gamified electric go-karting track and two beach clubs, with one specifically for families. In 2024, Shangri-La Melbourne will open its doors, marking the Group’s third Shangri-La hotel in the country, alongside Shangri-La Sydney and Shangri-La the Marina, Cairns.”

In what ways is Shangri-La an innovative brand?

“Shangri-La has had a pioneering spirit from the very start. We were the first hotel group to put kettles in every room, and the first to place note pads and pens by the side of every bed. We are in the process of reinventing the guest experience with a new design ethos that elevates timeless aesthetics. The four new hotels that recently opened in Shanghai, Beijing, Nanning and Jeddah are the first to showcase this reimagined vision and guest journey.

“Shangri-La’s new design blueprint is built around three core design strategies which reflect our brand heritage while enhancing the guest experience. Firstly, Asian sensibilities will visually express the brand’s strong cultural heritage and links to the region. Secondly, our hotels will be nature inspired reflecting local, natural environments and, thirdly, our hotels will have a spirit of place showcasing the history of each Shangri-La destination.

“Each element is applied to the new hotels’ design schemes to create compelling visual cues that immerses guests in the Shangri-La brand and the hotels’ location. A great example of this is Shangri-La Shougang Park in Beijing. Built on the original architectural foundation of a power plant, the hotel’s design pairs Shougang’s magnificent industrial and steel heritage with Shangri-La’s aesthetics and sustainability concepts.

“Another example is our recently refurbished Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong by renowned interior designer, Tristan Auer. The hotel’s newly renovated Grand Premier rooms, Horizon Club rooms and Cityview suite blend modern conveniences with Asian aesthetics and elegance, featuring sophisticated in-room technology and amenities. All the spacious rooms and suites open up to sweeping views of the city, the Peak or Victoria Harbour, creating an exceptional accommodation experience with meticulous service for modern travellers and families. We continue to deliver and adapt to changing family structures and travel habits.”

What will the reopening of international travel to and from China mean for Shangri-La?

“There’s no debating China was the world’s largest outbound tourism market before Covid-19. We anticipate the Chinese travel market to bounce back quickly, in a similar fashion to how many other international markets did as they emerged from the pandemic. With over 50% of our portfolio in China and with over 50 years of experience in Asia, we are well prepared to cater to the Chinese traveller.”

How is family travel changing?

“Multi-generational travel, family travel to celebrate an occasion, as well as adventure and active holidays are growing in popularity. The definition of a modern family continues to evolve with single parenting making up 23% of families in the UK, and a growing number of parents now part of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, many Millennials (Gen Y), have now become parents to Gen Alpha and are travelling the world with their children.

“To meet the needs of such a diverse audience and the desires for celebratory, joyous occasions spent as a family, Shangri-La has launched a family brand called ‘Buds by Shangri-La’. Buds, an immersive and curated play space, allows children to learn through play in a creative, self-directed and experiential environment. This is complemented by themed Family suites and Deluxe Family rooms, which include family concierge services, a tailored kids’ meal programme, and a family pantry equipped with everything needed for a hassle-free stay. The new ‘families only’ beach club soon to open at the Palawan, Sentosa is another example.”

How are Shangri-La hotels adapting to the changing needs and desires of luxury travellers?

“Luxury is deeply personal. It is a moment in time where we truly feel joy. It is different for each of us and we call it ‘Shangri-La’. Whether it’s a personal tour and five-course meal in the ancient ice caves of Whistler in Canada, or a wedding in a grand ballroom at Shangri-La Paris, the private residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, we act as enablers to bring these personal moments of joy to life for our guests. This commitment of enabling heartfelt moments of joy underpins everything we do – from how we design our environments to how we deliver curated programming that truly feels personal.”

How important is social media to Shangri-La? How are you leveraging these platforms?

“Social media and platforms such as Instagram and We Chat are great visual mediums to showcase our hotels and resorts, particularly to younger travellers. A great example of how we’re leveraging these platforms to showcase authentic content is through our social media champions.

“Many of our hotels have arranged photography, videography and social media training to enable colleagues to capture guests’ moments of joy. Shangri-La Dubai went one step further and created the Middle East’s first ‘Instagrammable room’ in 2022, which features floor-to-ceiling windows looking onto the Burj Khalifa and downtown skyline, as well as a Polaroid camera, photo frames and flower arrangements.”

What do you predict for the future of luxury hospitality in 2023 and beyond?

“The desire to travel consciously will continue. Making an impact while visiting a destination is driving booking decisions, with travellers wanting to travel where they can immerse in the culture, preserve natural environments and support the local economy.

“Across the Middle East, Europe, India, Indian Ocean and the Americas, we have partnered with Make-A-Wish International, a charity that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. Guests staying in our hotels can book a ‘Make A Wish Come True’ package where proceeds are donated to the charity.

“The celebrations market for hotels such as Shangri-La the Shard, London is one of the largest leisure segments. Our teams are well versed in making a guest’s vision for a special occasion become a reality, whether it be for a family member’s milestone birthday, a wedding or a proposal.”

The post Shangri-La Group reveals luxury hospitality shifts for 2023 appeared first on Globetrender.

From holidays in the southern Balkans to AI-powered bookings, Tim Hentschel, CEO of HotelPlanner, speaks to Globetrender about the future of travel in 2023 and beyond.

What is HotelPlanner?

“Founded in 2003, HotelPlanner is one of the world’s top providers of individual, group and corporate travel bookings, specialising in unique ‘Closed User Group’ discount rates offered in unpublished private sale environments. The platform combines artificial intelligence capabilities, a 24/7 global gig economy-based reservations and customer service network, to serve all traveller hotel needs from a single platform.”

Who are your target markets?

“We’re a London-based company providing a direct booking service for a variety of travel purposes, from individuals and families looking to experience the holiday of a lifetime to sports teams, corporates and wedding parties looking to remove the hassle of booking multiple rooms for large groups. We serve a large customer base across several markets such as Europe, Asia and the US. HotelPlanner is a reliable, seamless and innovative platform to source the best possible rates and value across more than one million hotel properties and alternative accommodations globally.

“We also have long term partnerships with the world’s largest online travel agencies, well-known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, sports franchises, universities, tourism boards and government agencies. There are more than 4,000 HotelPlanner affiliates actively using HotelPlanner’s patent-pending AI-enabled technology, and more than 100,000 hotels and meeting venues worldwide actively loading in room inventory within the HotelPlanner network on a daily basis.”

In what ways is it innovative?

“Our proprietary AI-based tech platform is one of the most customised and personalised ways to book hotels, giving us a substantial market cut-through and unique selling point. We believe in providing a personalised service for customers, as well as a flexible and convenient hybrid working model for our employees and remote agents using technology.

In 2020 HotelPlanner launched a first-of-its-kind gig-economy call centre, which now has more than 8,000 gig agents onboarded remotely, with a high-tech and high-touch concept in mind. This included an AI and voice over IP-enabled platform.

“We have also launched various AI inspired partnerships and adaptations such as an Alexa-enabled hotel booking feature that immediately connects customers to a global gig-based ‘Hotel Planner’ agent to book a discounted hotel stay – anywhere in the world – at any time.”

What booking patterns have you been observing for 2023?

“Some of the most popular searched destinations for 2023 include London, Cancun, Tokyo, Paris, Dubai, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Munich, Rome, Madrid, Manila and Mexico City.”

Which destinations do you think will be most popular in 2023?

“Asia-Pacific destinations will be quite popular in 2023 as China comes out of lockdown and the entire region welcomes more inbound Chinese travellers and others. Popular destinations include the Maldives, Bali, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Fiji, Tokyo, Australia and New Zealand.

“Destinations in the southern Balkans [Albania, Croatia, Montenegro] offer a refreshing and affordable option for those looking to get the best value for their travel whilst also experiencing a culture different to the traditional offerings of beach resorts in Western Europe. The favourable living costs in the southern Balkan region and the fact that many destination are accessible via affordable public transport is enough to suggest that guests can get more value for their stay.”

What does the reopening of China mean for international travel in 2023?

“We’re projecting that 2023 will be the ‘Year of the Asia-Pacific Comeback’ as China comes out of lockdown and allows unfettered inbound, outbound and domestic travel. HotelPlanner forecasts an approximate 8% average increase in hotel occupancy globally, largely due to China relaxing travel restrictions coupled with the ongoing return of group and corporate travel.

“We are confident that China is going to be the major catalyst this year in driving the Asia-Pacific recovery, but we must caution that it will likely take the entire year before the region is back to a pre-pandemic steady state, and future outbreaks could certainly delay a full recovery.”

What travel trends do you think will be most interesting in 2023?

“In the UK specifically we’re seeing pubs open up their upstairs rooms as a more affordable and convenient lodging option, broadening the accommodation choice for consumers. A comfortable yet affordable room right above a charming pub with great food and drink could be the perfect option for cost-conscious travellers compared to a more expensive hotel in the city centre.

“Another key trend is the use of travel as a wellness boosting technique, one of the biggest trends to emerge from the pandemic. This is not just during a January detox or ‘sober October’, but year-round. The options are endless and evolving – from fishing, hiking, skiing, open water swimming and camping trips – to spa, yoga or wellness retreats that incorporate CBD or vitamin treatments, massage, music, art and UV light therapy, digital and alcohol detox, spiritual retreats, and even psychedelic plant medicine such as ayahuasca.”

What are you observing in terms of consumers’ sensitivity to price in 2023?

“Naturally the onus is on value-for-money as consumers come to terms with the rising cost of living, but we are buoyed by the knowledge that travelling abroad next year remains a spending priority for the British public. Recent reports have pointed towards Brits looking to reduce other non-essential activities such as eating out and clothing shopping, before rethinking holiday budgets.

“Consumers are looking for more package holidays and value add-ons, such as all-inclusive access, free ‘upgrades’ or cost-cutting services such as shuttle transport. This is increasingly at the heart of booking behaviour, and as a result, more hotels are offering free half board dining deals and ‘children eat/stay free’ offers for example.”

How far ahead are users typically booking?

“Among the approximate 30,000 bookings made each month on HotelPlanner, as of early January 2023, only 14 of our customers have booked trips for 2024. No one has booked for 2025 yet so it’s a small number who are booking a year in advance. That said, we are seeing customers book more in advance this year compared to last year since travellers now have more confidence that countries are far less likely to suddenly go into lockdown or mandate quarantines.”

What are your goals and expectations for the year ahead as a company?

“We have aspirations to employ the latest artificial intelligence tech such as Chat GPT to enable customers to search and book hotels entirely through AI. That would be an industry game changer.”

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From rising hotel prices to tailor-made experiences, Little Emperors founder Rebecca Masri reveals the trends shaping the future of luxury travel in 2023.

Little Emperors is a private members hotel club, offering access to preferred rates and guaranteed benefits at the most exclusive hotels around the globe, handpicked by a team of travel advisors.

With membership fees from £250 per year, and both a web and app-based presence, it is a useful tool for modern travellers. “Members typically find they recoup the money they spend on becoming a member in the savings from just one hotel booking,” says Masri.

Why are Millennials so significant to the future of luxury travel?

Masri says: “Millennials have replaced Baby Boomers as our primary clientele. Approximately 93 per cent of our members are under 50. With remote offices on the rise, family duties arriving much later in life, and the nomadic lifestyle paving the way, wealthy Millennials seem keen to tap into that sense of freedom.”

What do Millennials want?

Masri says: “Millennials seek authenticity and shareability when travelling. They want an easy booking process – LE takes three clicks to book and retains preferences and booking details so you don’t need to repeat them every time.

“They want excellent visuals – two years ago, we hired Laura Mizon, (ex–Mr & Mrs Smith) as our CPO, and she recognised how key content is for us. Millennials are ‘buying with their eyes’, and as such we plan to eventually remove all sentences from our app. All they need are images, videos, floor plans and so on.

“They want relevant information –  we are all subjected to so many adverts everyday – most of which are not relevant. We know our members – we know how much they spend, if they have kids, how old they are. And we can talk to them, predict and shape trends, and we do this through membership engagement.

“Social is also important to them. Instagram–friendly destinations have seen a significant increase in Millennial affluential visitors. Iceland, Jordan and New Zealand are some of the new destinations that were able to take advantage of the craving for original and beautiful travel experiences.

“Online influencers visually sharing their journeys have led to a new wave of aspirational living. A recent survey amongst our members told us 85 per cent check hotel social media before booking. A strong online and social media presence is important if a hotel hopes to attract Millennials.”

What post-pandemic trends and behaviours have you been observing among your members?

“We have seen a huge rise in demand and bookings for one–time bucket list trips that are further afield. People are interested in places such as Rwanda, New Zealand, India and Bali – the Capella Ubud is a great example, with its swing into the jungle.

“We have also observed that affluence is no longer tied to the physicality of what you own. New status symbols can instead be found in the rich experiences that you live.

“Rather than spending days on sun loungers in five-star beach resorts, our members are enquiring more about tented safaris in Tanzania, cooking classes in San Sebastian, or surfing lessons in Hawaii.

“Not only will these experiences make for shareworthy photos on Instagram but they deliver a deeper cultural connection and a strong sense of place,” says Masri.

She adds: “The curiosity among travellers to experience an independent hotel or new brand has been so great that Little Emperors has added 180 new hotels to its booking platform this year to keep up with demand.”

According to data from Little Emperors, more than 50 per cent of affluent Millennial travellers believe that travel is about discovery and adventure, and 70 per cent want to learn from the cultures they visit.

Masri says: “Six Senses and its growing portfolio has seen an increase in over 40 per cent bookings from our clients based on their unique programmes and ability to embrace their local cultures.”

She adds: “Environmental sustainability and social responsibility also play an important role in providing a sentiment of authenticity that appeals to younger affluent travellers. For example, in Singita, Tanzania, you can experience first–hand the perfect combination of luxury and care for our environment, with everything locally sourced and sustainable.”

Masri also notes a “continual shift towards wellness”. She says: “The wellness side of our business has really grown. Wellness for us has gone from ‘I need a hotel with a sauna’ to ‘I want to do a tailored programme’. These tailored programmes are something we see hotels brands such as Chenot, which recently open in Montenegro, offering more and more.

“The pandemic has underlined that ‘health is the new wealth’, and has given rise to increased demand for highly tailored therapies and treatments with expert instruction.”

Combining work with holiday time is becoming the norm. Masri says: “When you can work from anywhere, why not work from a new location? That’s the question that many people are asking themselves as work–from–home and hybrid work conditions continue.

“In fact, 61 per cent of remote workers expect to be working hybrid for the next year and beyond, and 27 per cent anticipate that they will work fully from home.”

Where will people be travelling to in 2023?

Masri says: “Our biggest growing destination has been Costa Rica – this country ticks all the boxes for this conscientious and social media–obsessed generation. Costa Rica has another key appeal: the complete absence of Covid red tape, and has been open since November 2020.

“The destination has ecolodges, surf lodges, new hotel openings and more – all of which satisfy the environmentally conscious, lifestyle seeking, Millennial traveller.”

Why are hotels so expensive right now?

Masri says: “At Little Emperors we have seen the ADR (average daily room rate) increase by 29 per cent compared to last year, and an overall 14 per cent increase in price since pre–pandemic levels. This is partially owing to:

• Huge pent–up demand – due to people being desperate to travel post–Covid restrictions, as well as a surge in delayed trips and group bookings (weddings, team bonding, etc).
• Gas price increases.
• Labour shortages.
• Inflation (ordering toiletries, food and other items increases costs on the hotels).
• Exchange rates.”

Will hotels be more expensive in 2023?

“As a general rule, hotels have put a 5 per cent increase on hotel prices for next year but people are afraid it will be even higher. I think it might go down a bit. But it will be last-minute prices that are the highest.”

How are consumers responding?

Masri says: “The pandemic led to the shortest lead-times we have ever seen but now people are booking much further in advance. We have seen an 20 per cent increase in bookings for next year already. People are even booking as far as Christmas 2023 and sometimes hotels haven’t even released their rates.

“Consumers are also booking shorter stays. This is a major u–turn from during the pandemic when travellers were staying for extended periods due to being able to work–from–home. The prices today are so high, people want to stay in the same hotels, but only possess the budget for shorter stays.

“People are increasingly turning to travel agents (like us). Traditionally, many associate travel agents with being more expensive. At Little Emperors, we see ourselves as a new breed of travel agents (we like to be called “advisors” or “disruptors”) who no longer charge hourly rates for advice, but instead a small annual fee.

“It’s easy to recoup in just a one-night booking, and even better, we get you free things such as daily breakfast, early check–in, late check–out, airport transfers, spa credits and restaurant credits.”

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As materialism falls out of favour, Easol helps companies sell experiences online. Co-founder and chief creative officer, Lisa Simpson, discusses the ‘coming of age of experience travel’.

The pandemic brought everyone’s world to a standstill. Overnight we went from being able to experience different cultures and adventures whenever we wanted, to being locked in our homes and confined to online video calls to connect with the world.

For many, this sudden change brought with it a profound mental health challenge as a freedom fundamental to many of us had been removed. Sean Hoess, co-founder and CEO ofWanderlust observed that “the very few live events we did manage to put on last year in Italy and Portugal, people were hugging, crying – it was a massively emotional experience. These events sold out so quickly because people were desperate to commune in some way.”

As we emerge from the pandemic, it is clear that many people spent time in lockdown thinking about what the ability to travel and make memories truly means to us, and questioning where our priorities lie. This pent-up demand for travel is now being realised more than ever before, with 93% of leisure travellers from the UK planning to travel abroad by air in the next 12 months and 86% of consumers saying they expect to spend either more or the same amount on travel this year compared to a typical year before the pandemic.

Overall, the travel industry is poised for a strong comeback in 2022, with 63% of travellers reporting they would rather spend money on a holiday this year than on material items. This trend is set to continue as governments steadily roll-out vaccination programmes across the globe and remove travel restrictions globally.

Shifting travel priorities

On top of this revival in demand, we’re also seeing a shift in the way people want to travel. Our community is seeing an upsurge in demand as people are prioritising unique, sustainable, authentic experiences which broaden their horizons, enrich their understanding of the world, and deepen their connection with others. They want carefully curated trips, tailored to their specific likes and interests when they are finally able to get away again.

As Jake Haupert, chairman and CEO of the Transformational Travel Council observes: “As well as greater demand, people are also being more intentional about how they approach travel. Travellers are becoming actively engaged and understand they have a role to play, it is not just about entertainment. Likewise, experience providers are realising the role they can play in guiding people towards their desired outcomes”.

Travellers are still understandably cautiously reengaging with travel though, taking their time to focus on priority experiences rather than the pre-pandemic norm of many smaller short stay trips. Lee Thompson, co-founder of Flash Pack, says: “People are now booking one trip a year, but they are spending significantly more. We have seen our average transaction rise quite significantly vs pre-pandemic.

“This means that they are booking once in a lifetime bucket-list trips like glamping on converted Land Rovers in Tanzania for the ultimate safari experience. Our customers regularly comment that they are making up for lost time during the pandemic.”

Priority locations are also constantly shifting as favourite destinations open up again. Thompson has seen that “with countries like Thailand and Vietnam opening up, there has been a shift from mostly Europe based trips to South-East Asia. Vietnam and Thailand are our top visited trip pages and top-selling adventures right now”.

A new type of travel provision

This desire for a life-changing trip is being matched by an incredible community of experience creators designing new ways for people to experience the world based on our passions. Whether it’s rock climbing a volcano in Sicily, a therapeutic surf retreat in Morocco or attending a yoga and music festival in Costa Rica – this fast-growing global community of experience entrepreneurs is set to determine the future of how we travel and experience the world.

One of the things holding this community of experience creators back in the past has been having the right technology in place to be able to offer all the aspects of activity, transport and hospitality that these experiences require and that creators want to offer.

Historically, creators have had to knit together different platforms and solutions that have meant restrictions on service, increased costs for the consumer and a booking experience that is often fragmented and poorly designed. For the first time, we have developed a fully integrated platform which is the first touchpoint on the experience for travellers and they can now book the experience as its creator intended.

The pandemic has also taught us that flexible booking, deposit options, free date changes and cancellations are no longer a nice-to-have, but are now essential. Flexibility to amend trips seamlessly is key to restoring the confidence to travel and must be easy for creators to offer.

For example, our research shows that 89% of travellers are happy to put down a deposit if offered a free change of dates. And over 90% of the creators in our community started to offer a free change of dates outside of their standard terms and conditions in 2020. This is another area where booking a trip on a fully integrated platform makes a huge difference as all changes can be instantly executed and feed through the entire booking effectively.

‘Experience first’ travel

There are exciting times ahead for the post-pandemic era of experience travel. The far-reaching effects of the pandemic have changed the priorities for many people and we are seeing many more travellers looking for something more from their trips as they are keen to connect with new ideas from around the world.

Thomas Gilovich from Cornell University puts it well when he observes that “we derive happiness from experiences, not things.. after buying material goods, we are happy for only a short period of time. Experiences, however, 
can stay with us forever.”

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