International News

International News

Japan 2020 travel surplus down 79% as pandemic hits inbound tourism

Japan's travel surplus in 2020 shrank to nearly one-fifth of the previous year, the first drop since the balance turned into the black in 2015, as international travel bans amid the coronavirus pandemic had a huge impact on the number of inbound visitors, government data showed Monday. The travel balance, which reflects the amount of money foreign visitors spend in Japan versus Japanese spending abroad, tumbled 79.2 percent to 562.1 billion yen ($5.3 billion) from a record 2.70 trillion yen in 2019 since annual comparable data became available in 1996, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report. Still, Japan's travel balance in 2020 logged black ink for the sixth straight year. In 2015, the balance saw its first black ink of 1.09 trillion yen since data compilation began in 1996, following a 44.4 billion yen deficit marked in 2014. Since 2011, when a massive earthquake, tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear crisis in northeastern Japan helped slightly widen a travel deficit to 1.30 trillion yen, the country's annual travel balance had continued to improve until 2019 with a steady increase in the number of foreign visitors. The reporting year's surplus in the current account, one of the widest gauges of international trade, fell 13.8 percent from 2019 to 17.70 trillion yen, its lowest level since 16.52 trillion yen recorded in 2015. It had increased 5.8 percent the previous year. In 2020, the goods trade balance saw a surplus for the fifth consecutive year, jumping almost eight-fold from the previous year to 3.05 trillion yen. The impact of a 15.0 percent decline in imports due to falls in prices of crude oil and other energy resources surpassed that of an 11.4 percent slip in exports amid sluggish demand for Japanese products such as cars and auto parts due to the pandemic. With the poor performance of the travel balance, services trade, which also includes cargo shipping, marked a 3.54 trillion yen deficit, following the first-ever surplus of 124.8 billion yen in 2019. It was the biggest red ink since the 3.81 trillion yen logged in 2012. The primary income balance, which reflects returns on overseas investments, showed a surplus of 20.72 trillion yen, the fourth largest since 1996, despite a 3.2 percent dip from a record 21.40 trillion yen in 2019, the first decline in four years. Many countries have imposed sweeping travel restrictions in response to the global spread of infections after the virus was first detected in China in late 2019. In 2020, 4.12 million foreigners visited Japan, which has promoted inbound tourism as a pillar of its growth strategy for revitalizing regional economies in recent years, plummeting a record 87.1 percent from 31.88 million in the previous year, according to the Japan Tourism Agency. Japan was originally scheduled to host the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games last summer, but they were postponed for a year amid the pandemic. Largely consisting of tourists from China, South Korea and Taiwan, foreign visitors had kept expanding until 2019, when the figure hit a record high for the seventh year in a row. In December alone, Japan posted a current account surplus of 1.17 trillion yen, more than double the previous year's 544.9 billion yen to mark the 78th straight month of black ink. In the month, the country had a goods trade surplus of 965.1 billion yen and a services trade deficit of 343.5 billion yen. Primary income registered a surplus of 649.2 billion yen.

Create: Feb 8, 2021 Edit: Feb 8, 2021

Abu Dhabi Tourism updates ‘Green List’ of destinations

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has issued the updated list of ‘Green List’ destinations. Passengers arriving from these destinations will be exempt from mandatory quarantine measures after landing in Abu Dhabi and will only be required to undergo PCR testing upon arrival at Abu Dhabi Airport. Countries, regions, and territories included within the ‘Green List’ will be regularly updated based on international development. Inclusion in the list is subject to strict criteria of health and safety to ensure the well-being of the UAE community. The list also only applies to countries passengers are arriving from rather than citizenship. Please note below the updated ‘Green List’ as of 7 February 2021: • Australia• Bhutan• Brunei• China• Greenland• Hong Kong (SAR)• Iceland• Mauritius• Mongolia• New Zealand• Saudi Arabia• Singapore

Create: Feb 8, 2021 Edit: Feb 8, 2021

Office visit to morocco intiates prepartions for unwto general assembly

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Kingdom of Morocco met to advance the organization of the 24th UNWTO General Assembly in October 2021, the first global high-level United Nations event to be held since the beginning of the pandemic. Led by the Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, a delegation from UNWTO has concluded an official visit to Morocco to discuss the programme, calendar and facilities to be prepared for this statutory meeting that will focus on Education and Youth, Rural Development and Digital Innovation. The Minister of Tourism of Morocco, Nadia Fettah Alaoui, and her team accompanied the delegation during this three-day visit and expressed their commitment to organizing an “historic” General Assembly to showcase the importance of restarting international tourism in a safe and more sustainable way. The Prime Minister of Morocco, Saadeddine Othmani and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita welcomed the UNWTO Secretary-General in Rabat highlighting the importance of the celebration and the high-level support of the host country. The delegation was also received by the Governor of Marrakesh-Safi region, Karim Kassi Lahlou, and other local authorities and representatives of the private sector of the area that will be strongly involved in the preparations for this meeting. Secretary-General Pololikashvili thanked the Prime Minister and his government for their “hard work” to ensure that the Assembly will be a success on the back of the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said: “Tourism is adapting to the new reality and we face the future with optimism and with the backing of our Members.”

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021

Marriott Dallas Uptown Welcomes General Manager and Executive Chef

The Marriott Dallas Uptown team is excited to announce the appointment of Robbie Tawil as General Manager of the hotel property. Tawil has more than 35 years of experience with Marriott and the hospitality industry, including previous leadership roles in management and operations. Thrilled to open the 14-story, 255 guestroom hotel, Tawil will lead Marriott into the future, opening the first Marriott property with the latest generation room design. He is well equipped to lead his team and has done so successfully in the past. During his tenure with Marriott, Tawil has served as General Manager of the Marriott Conference Center in Norman, Oklahoma, General Manager of the Worthington Renaissance, Director of Operations at the Dallas Renaissance, Director of Food and Beverage at the Worthington in Fort Worth and Director of Operations at Dallas Marriott Downtown to name a few. Despite working with properties across the country, Tawil is excited to be working again in his hometown of Dallas. “Dallas has always been my home and I am elated to be opening a hotel in my own backyard,” said Tawil. “Marriott Dallas Uptown has so much to offer the burgeoning Uptown district. We are looking forward to meeting and serving our neighbors in the surrounding communities and welcoming travelers visiting Dallas from outside our city.” Also joining the Marriott Dallas Uptown team is Juan Pablo Silva as Executive Chef of Good Graces, the hotel’s restaurant. Chef Silva’s passion for food was born while cooking with his grandmother as a child in his hometown of Lima, Peru. He furthered his knowledge at Le Cordon Bleu Peru, where he graduated with a Culinary Arts and Hotel Management degree. Chef Silva has helped manage the culinary program for the largest Ritz-Carlton in the world, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal, where he served as the Executive Sous Chef. After three years in Abu Dhabi, Chef Silva became the Executive Sous Chef of the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas and then Executive Chef. He is honored and excited to take on the challenge of opening Good Graces, a modern American Brasserie. “The menu I’ve created for Good Graces will truly highlight each place I’ve cooked and learned from,” said Chef Silva. “From home-cooking in my grandmother’s kitchen in Peru to fine dining at the Ritz, this menu will be the perfect balance of each.”

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021

Shaner Hotels Opens SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin in Ohio

Officials of Shaner Hotels, an award winning, international hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced the grand opening of the 145-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin located in Bridge Park. Shaner will operate the hotel in a partnership with ownership, Crawford Hoying, a large-scale real estate developer headquartered in Central Ohio. The Springhill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin provides the freshest hotel choice in Dublin’s Bridge Park, a new development giving an urban feel to this upscale suburb,” said Plato Ghinos, president, Shaner Hotels. “The hotel provides an all-suite option that includes complimentary breakfast – providing a reliable, refreshing and unexpected choice in the Dublin market. Our staff will focus on sales, service and style to bring the best in customer service to our guests.” Situated in the heart of downtown Dublin at 4475 Bridge Park Avenue, SpringHill Suites is conveniently located near local attractions such as the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, the highly anticipated Riverside Crossing Park and only minutes to downtown Columbus. The hotel is surrounded by numerous walkable dining and entertainment options provided by the Bridge Park neighborhood. The hotel also provides multiple amenities for travelers, including a 24/7 fitness center, 840 square feet of meeting space, a complimentary breakfast buffet, a lobby bar, multiple outdoor lounging spaces and suite-style rooms designed to fuse form and function, equipped with separate areas to both work and relax. These stylized guest rooms are furnished with an oversized work area, a phone with voicemail, free Wi-Fi, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave oven, a trundle sofa bed and Smart TV entertainment. “At the rate in which Bridge Park is growing, the demand for another hotel was obvious,” said Brent Crawford, founder and principal, Crawford Hoying. “We couldn’t be more appreciative of our continued partnership with Shaner and the fantastic hospitality provided at each of the hotels within our developments. We’re confident that Springhill Suites will be no exception.” “We continue to seek opportunities in strong primary and secondary markets with new products surrounded by multiple demand generators,” Ghinos noted. “While the pandemic has hit the travel and hospitality industries particularly hard, we believe we see the light at the end of the tunnel with the recent arrival and deployment of the vaccines. Brand new hotels such as this will hold the lead position as travelers begin their return to both business and leisure travel in the weeks and months to come.”

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021

Tourism sector suffers $1.3tn in revenue loss from pandemic

Revenue loss in the international tourism sector in 2020 caused by a decrease in travelers crossing borders is estimated at $1.3 trillion, on the back of strict travel bans imposed by countries amid the coronavirus pandemic, a U.N. body said. Last year's international arrivals fell by one billion, or 74 percent, from 2019, ensuring that the overall estimated damage was over 11 times larger than in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis, according to a recent press release by the World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. Due to the economic fallout from the virus spread, 100 to 120 million people have been put at risk of losing their jobs in the tourism industry, the Madrid-based body said, adding that many of them are from small and midsized business operators. "Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020," the agency, also known as UNWTO, said in the news release, citing an "unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions" to prevent the virus from further spreading. By region, Europe saw the largest drop in absolute numbers, with overseas arrivals down 500 million, or 70 percent, from the previous year. Meanwhile, those in Asia and the Pacific nations tumbled by 300 million, marking the sharpest decrease at 84 percent. On a percentage basis, the Middle East and Africa followed with a 75 percent plunge each, with the North and South Americas experiencing a 69 percent sink. As for 2021, a UNWTO panel of experts survey showed 45 percent of respondents forecast the situation will become better, while 30 percent predicted a deterioration, according to the press release. The remaining 25 percent expected a similar performance to 2020. The survey also showed that 43 percent think the tourism industry will rebound to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, with 41 percent saying it will happen in 2024 or later. UNWTO said that it expects the "gradual rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine" to bring about a recovery in consumer sentiment and eased travel restrictions, making travel relatively normal, albeit at a slow pace, during 2021. "While much has been made in making safe international travel a possibility, we are aware that the crisis is far from over," said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of UNWTO. "The harmonization, coordination and digitalization of COVID-19 travel-related risk reduction measures, including testing, tracing and vaccination certificates, are essential foundations to promote safe travel and prepare for the recovery of tourism once conditions allow," the agency's chief added. Since first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, the virus has continued to spread globally and has resulted in over 105 million infection cases and more than 2.3 million deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021

Robot room service: South African hotel goes hi-tech in COVID-19 era

A hotel in South Africa is using robots to counter some of the challenges of COVID-19. Micha, Lexi and Ariel are on hand to help guests check in, find out more information about on-site facilities and deliver room service requests, as ordered via the hotel's app. Guests can even chat to the robots, whose AI-powered technology is designed to continuously improve their knowledge and interaction skills. Nikhil Ranchod, the co-founder of CTRL Robotics says: "The chatbot is pretty interesting, because these robots have quite a catchy personality. They sort of help out with the smaller things ... and where staff would usually be running up four floors delivering a meal, delivering two meals ... now we've got the facility where they can control the robots themselves and send it off." Hotel Sky in Sandton, north of Johannesburg, had put the technology in place before the pandemic, but is now embracing it as a way to minimize human contact in a country hit hard by COVID-19. The hotel's general manager, Herman Brits, says the venture also raises morale. "It just creates such a nice vibe and excitement for the staff ... They have the opportunity to be part of this journey, and being the innovators in South Africa of this hospitality trend."

Create: Feb 5, 2021 Edit: Feb 5, 2021

Greek PM Mitsotakis Sees Strong Rebound in Tourism in 2021

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis forecast a strong rebound in tourism in the summer of 2021, saying speedy vaccination drives in key markets for Greece, including Britain and Israel, will pave the way for tourists to return despite the current industry’s gloom, according to a report out of Reuters on Thursday. Tourism, which accounts for about 20 percent of the Greek economy and directly employs one in five workers, collapsed last year as the coronavirus pandemic sent its revenues slumping to 4 billion euros from a high of 18 billion in 2019, according to the report. Since last summer, when the pandemic subsided across Europe, the virus has surged once again, triggering renewed lockdowns and travel restrictions and pushing the region’s death toll above 750,000. Vaccines are now making their way through the most critical populations but the supply is lagging all over the world. “I am a realist, but I am also cautiously optimistic that we will do much better than last year,” Mitsotakis told Reuters. The Prime Minister also defended a decision to coordinate EU member states’ vaccine purchases through the European Commission, saying the bloc’s smaller countries would have faced serious problems negotiating deals on their own.

Create: Feb 5, 2021 Edit: Feb 5, 2021

JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian opens in China

JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian has opened, becoming the fiftieth Marriott International hotel to open in the city. Located on Hangzhou Bay in the Fengxian seaside district, just an hour’s drive south of metropolitan Shanghai, the new hotel promises to be a sophisticated and luxurious. “We are delighted to celebrate the opening of the 50th property in Shanghai, a testament to the phenomenal growth of Marriott International in this region,” said Henry Lee, president, Greater China, Marriott International. “Across Greater China, there are now over 400 Marriott hotels spanning 23 brands in more than 90 cities, indicating our confidence in the strong growth of the travel market in China. “We look forward to expanding our portfolio further, and to offer distinctive and personalized experiences to travellers here.” Fengxian is a suburban district south of Shanghai known for its rustic beachfront areas, national forest park and the old town itself, a popular weekend destination for Shanghai residents. JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian overlooks the nearby Jianhai Lake, a wetland that connects Huangpu River and the East Sea. Designed by international design company PLD, the hotel’s style narrative is inspired by its natural surroundings, with its exterior imagined as the legendary Roc bird. Dining options at JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Fengxian include three distinctive restaurants and a bar, with menus featuring freshly harvested produce from the hotel’s own onsite garden, JW Garden. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome this new addition of JW Marriott in Shanghai, the fourth JW Marriott to open in this world-class city,” said Jennie Toh, vice president, brand marketing and brand management, Asia Pacific, Marriott International. “With 19 distinctive brands operating in Shanghai, we are poised to offer endless choices and curated experiences for every guest through the breadth of our portfolio.”

Create: Feb 4, 2021 Edit: Feb 4, 2021

New Grand Hyatt Hotel to Transform Grand Central Terminal, Renderings Show

A new building is poised to transform the area around a New York City landmark and one of its busiest subway stations. Image renderings released Tuesday by RXR Realty show what would eventually be 175 Park Avenue, an 83-story tall structure that developers say will be the new Grand Hyatt hotel that will also revitalize the Grand Central Terminal with brand new public spaces. The plan is to demolish the current Grand Hyatt over the course of the next year and build the 1,646 feet tall building with up to 500 hotel rooms, 2.1 million square feet of new office space and make improvements to infrastructures around the Grand Central-42nd Street subway station. The 5,400 square feet hall would feature more signage, train schedules and arrival times, and ticketing and turnstiles will be relocated to street level to ease foot traffic. The new entrance to 42nd Street subway station will be where the ADA elevator is currently located but developers say the reconfiguration will make a more efficient route for customers with disabilities. The changes also include upgrades to the Lexington Avenue entrance where the sidewalk is expected to widen by five feet As for additional public spaces, RXR Realty said there will be three interconnected public terraces that wrap around the eastern, northern, and western sides of the building and that they will be accessible by elevator. Similar to the High Line, the Grand Central Terrace, Chrysler Terrace and Graybar Terrace will "create new vistas for pedestrians to view the neighborhood’s historic architecture" with space for outdoor seating and food and beverage concessions, the news released said.

Create: Feb 4, 2021 Edit: Feb 4, 2021

Jordan rolls out accelerator to promote tourism start-ups

The Jordan Tourism Board has partnered with workspace operator Venture X to launch a dedicated accelerator for tourism start-ups. The accelerator will be a “highly selective, equity-based three-month programme for the most promising technology start-ups or pre-scale-ups that can power the travel and tourism industry”, according to a statement from the tourism board on Wednesday. “This partnership is a response to the challenges ahead,” Abdul Razzaq Arabiat, the board's managing director, said. The accelerator programme is looking for innovative companies that are developing ways to “future-proof” Jordan’s travel and tourism industry, the statement said, as tourism companies look to rebound in the wake of Covid-19. The collapse in international travel due to the pandemic led the global tourism industry to lose $1.3 trillion in export revenue, almost 11 times more than the loss recorded during the 2008 global economic crisis, according to the UN World Tourism Organisation. Companies selected to take part will undergo a three-month intensive programme to identify a potential pilot project and scope, followed by three months of implementation working alongside the top 10 industry partners, the statement added. “The pandemic is going to change the tourism industry,” Yousef Hamidaddin, managing partner of Venture X, said. “Innovative solutions will allow people to continue to travel and explore, which represents an opportunity for entrepreneurs and start-ups.” Jordan was chosen by Lonely Planet as the Most Welcoming Destination of 2021. The country reopened to travellers in September 2020 after restrictions due to Covid-19. The tourism industry contributes 13 per cent to 15 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product and employs almost 60,000 people. The pandemic came months after a record-breaking year for tourism, with the kingdom attracting one million visitors and generating 4.1 billion Jordanian dinars ($5.8bn) in 2019.

Create: Feb 4, 2021 Edit: Feb 4, 2021

Red Sea tourism project awards contracts to build hotel and villa infrastructure

Red Sea Development Company, the developer of the mammoth tourism project on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, said it awarded contracts to complete structural work for a luxury hotel and villas. Saudi Arabian contractor Al Bawani will conduct civil and structural works across 40 hotel villas on the Southern Dunes site while Swiss timber specialist Blumer Lehmann will carry out planning, construction and fabrication works for a hotel on Ummahat Al Shaykh Island, the developer said in a statement on Wednesday. The company did not disclose the value of these contracts. The contract awards "signify the start of a new phase" for the mega tourism project as it advances into hotel development, John Pagano, chief executive of the Red Sea Development Company, said. “The Red Sea Development Company has made significant progress in terms of the design and construction of key infrastructure to enable the development of hotel assets,” he added. The project is a key tenet of Saudi Arabia's tourism strategy, which aims to increase the contribution of tourism to more than 10 per cent of the kingdom’s GDP by 2030, up from 3 per cent in 2020. The Red Sea Development Company’s masterplan covers a 28,000 square kilometre site containing 90 islands. Set to welcome its first visitors in 2022, the project is expected to be completed by 2030. It will house 50 hotels containing 8,000 rooms, a luxury marina, entertainment and leisure facilities. The company, which is owned by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, is developing 16 hotels with 3,000 rooms across five islands and two inland sites as part of the first phase that will be delivered by 2023. This phase will cost an estimated 28 billion Saudi riyals to 29bn riyals ($7.46bn-$7.73bn) to develop. Al Bawani's work will help the developer to link villas, restaurants and central buildings within its resort, the company said. Blumer Lehmann will design and manufacture all engineered timber material for a hotel, overwater and beach villas, spa and fitness building, restaurants and an arrival building. The company said last year it had awarded contracts worth 7.5bn riyals to date. Last month, the Red Sea Development Company chose Dublin-based DAA International to operate the project's international airport. It awarded the airport design contract to UK-based architecture firm Foster + Partners in October 2019. The project is being built under a “regenerative tourism” model, which aims not only to protect local habitats, but also create conditions for local environments to thrive. Only 22 of the site's 90 islands will be built on and visitor numbers to the area will be capped at one million a year.

Create: Feb 4, 2021 Edit: Feb 4, 2021