Travel and Tourism Professionals

06/10/2021

Airline Industry Economic Performance - October 2021
Released 4th October 2021
Key points from our latest report:

• Airline industry is recovering gradually from COVID-19 but RPKs are still estimated to be only 40% of pre-crisis levels in 2021.

• Air cargo has recovered above 2019 levels and is expected to be strong in 2022 with the support of strong global trade.

• Vaccines will allow some governments to relax restrictions and support global travel to reach 61% of 2019 levels in 2022.

• The industry is forecast to make net losses of $52 billion this year, cutting these losses to $12 billion in 2022.

• Airlines are forecast to cut costs by 31% in 2021 vs 2019. As the traffic recovery continues airlines will face cost pressures.

• Airlines continued to receive life support from their governments, totaling $243 billion since the beginning of the pandemic.

• Airline financial performance is expected to recover in all regions in 2022. North America is expected to turn to profitability in 2022.

06/10/2021

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that air travelers are increasingly frustrated with the COVID-19 travel restrictions. A survey commissioned by IATA of 4,700 respondents in 11 markets in September demonstrated confidence that the risks of COVID-19 can be effectively managed and that the freedom to travel should be restored.

67% of respondents felt that most country borders should be opened now, up 12 percentage-points from the June 2021 survey.
64% of respondents felt that border closures are unnecessary and have not been effective in containing the virus (up 11 percentage points from June 2021).
73% responded that their quality of life is suffering as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions (up 6 percentage points from June 2021).
“People are increasingly frustrated with the COVID-19 travel restrictions and even more have seen their quality of life suffer as a result. They don’t see the necessity of travel restrictions to control the virus. And they have missed too many family moments, personal development opportunities and business priorities. In short, they miss the freedom of flying and want it restored. The message they are sending to governments is: COVID-19 is not going to disappear, so we must establish a way to manage its risks while living and traveling normally,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Support grows for testing or vaccination to replace quarantine

The biggest deterrent to air travel continues to be quarantine measures. 84% of respondents indicated that they will not travel if there is a chance of quarantine at their destination. A growing proportion of respondents support the removal of quarantine if:

A person has tested negative for COVID-19 (73% in September compared to 67% in June)
A person has been vaccinated (71% in September compared to 68% in June).
With the vaccination rates globally increasing, 80% of respondents agree that vaccinated people should be able to travel freely by air. However, there were strong views against making vaccination a condition for air travel. About two-thirds felt it is morally wrong to restrict travel only to those who have been vaccinated. Over 80% of respondents believe that testing before air travel should be an alternative for people without access to vaccination.

While 85% are willing to be tested if required in the travel process, several issues remain:

75% of respondents indicated that the cost of testing is a significant barrier to travel
80% believe that governments should bear the cost of testing
77% see the inconvenience of testing as a barrier to travel
“There is a message here for governments. People are willing to be tested to travel. But they don’t like the cost or the inconvenience. Both can be addressed by governments. The reliability of rapid antigen tests is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). Broader acceptance of antigen testing by governments would reduce inconvenience and cost—costs that the WHO’s International Health Regulations stipulate should be borne by governments. It is also clear that while people accept testing and other measures such as mask-wearing as necessary, they want to return to more normal ways of travel when it is safe to do so,” said Walsh.

High confidence with travel experience, struggling with COVID-19 rules

Among those who have traveled since June 2020, 86% felt safe on board the flight owing to the COVID-19 measures.

87% believed protective measures are well implemented
88% felt airline personnel are doing a good job in enforcing COVID-19 rules
There is also strong support for wearing masks, with 87% of respondents agreeing that doing so will prevent the spread of COVID-19.

With more markets starting to open to travel, an area that needs to be addressed is the COVID-related travel rules and requirements.

73% of those who have traveled since June 2020 found it challenging to understand what rules applied for a trip (up from 70% in June)
73% felt the COVID-19 paperwork was challenging to arrange (also up from 70% in June).
“People want to travel. 86% expect to be traveling within six months of the crisis ending. With COVID-19 becoming endemic, vaccines being widely available and therapeutics improving rapidly, we are quickly approaching that point in time. People also tell us that they are confident to travel. But what those who have traveled are telling us is that the rules are too complex and the paperwork too onerous. To secure the recovery governments need to simplify processes, restore the freedom to travel and adopt digital solutions to issue and manage travel health credentials,” said Walsh.

View the Air Travel Response to COVID-19 presentation

06/10/2021

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Etihad Airways, Jazeera Airways, Jetstar, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian, will implement IATA Travel Pass in a phased rollout across the airlines’ networks. These five airlines join Emirates Airline as IATA Travel Pass implementation pioneers.

The announcement, made on the sidelines of the 77th IATA Annual General Meeting being held in Boston, follows eleven months of extensive testing by 76 airlines.

“After months of testing, IATA Travel Pass is now entering the operational phase. The app has proven itself to be an effective tool to manage the complex mess of travel health credentials that governments require. And it’s a great vote of confidence that some of the world’s best known airline brands will be making it available to their customers over the coming months,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

The app offers a safe and secure way for travelers to check the requirements for their journey, receive test results and scan their vaccine certificates, verify that these meet the destination and transit requirements and share these effortlessly with health officials and airlines prior to departure. This will avoid queuing and congestion for document checks—to the benefit of travelers, airlines, airports and governments.

IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app that can receive and verify a range of COVID-19 test results and digital vaccines certificates. Currently vaccine certificates from 52 countries (representing the source of 56% of global air travel) can be managed using the app. This will increase to 74 countries, representing 85% of global traffic, by the end of November.

IATA Travel Pass is expected to play a key role in the aviation industry’s recovery from the impact of COVID-19. A digitalized solution to manage the paperwork of COVID-19 travel health credentials will support a return to travel when borders reopen. With many governments relying on airlines for COVID-19 document checking this will be critical in avoiding queues and congestion at check-in as travel ramps up.

14/09/2021

🤩The finalists of the Global Startup Competition have been announced!

Thank you all for:

💁‍♀️ Creating opportunities for everyone
🍀 Protecting natural resources
⚡️ Building disruptive business models
📲 Implementing new technologies

📰https://www.unwto.org/unwto-global-rural-tourism-startup-competition

14/09/2021

🔊🔊🔊Only 3 days left to apply for the initiative!

☝️International recognition
☝️Upgrade programme
☝️ network

Find how to participate: https://www.unwto.org/tourism-villages/en/

01/09/2021

Air Passenger Market Analysis - July 2021
Released 1st September 2021
Key points from our latest report:

Rebound in global air travel continued for another month supported by willingness to travel during the northern hemisphere summer. Industry-wide revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) fell by 53.1% in July 2021 vs. July 2019 compared with a 60.0% contraction in June. In month-on-month terms, RPKs picked up by a robust 8.0%.
Amongst key domestic markets, Russia posted the best outcome for another month, supported by booming domestic tourism. On the other hand, recovery reverted in Australia amidst new travel restrictions imposed to fight new COVID wave. International traffic improved slightly across all regions, but it remained well below 2019 levels.
Bookings for August travel have been falling. The weakness has been largely driven by China domestic market where the latest COVID outbreak resulted in a shutdown of many important routes.

Read More

03/08/2021

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released the IATA World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) publication with performance figures for 2020 demonstrating the devastating effects on global air transport during that year of the COVID-19 crisis:


1.8 billion passengers flew in 2020, a decrease of 60.2% compared to the 4.5 billion who flew in 2019
Industry-wide air travel demand (measured in revenue passenger-kilometers, or RPKs) dropped by 65.9% year-on-year
International passenger demand (RPKs) decreased by 75.6% compared to the year prior
Domestic air passenger demand (RPKs) dropped by 48.8% compared to 2019
Air connectivity declined by more than half in 2020 with the number of routes connecting airports falling dramatically at the outset of the crisis and was down more than 60% year-on-year in April 2020
Total industry passenger revenues fell by 69% to $189 billion in 2020, and net losses were $126.4 billion in total
The decline in air passengers transported in 2020 was the largest recorded since global RPKs started being tracked around 1950

“2020 was a year that we’d all like to forget. But analyzing the performance statistics for the year reveals an amazing story of perseverance. At the depth of the crisis in April 2020, 66% of the world’s commercial air transport fleet was grounded as governments closed borders or imposed strict quarantines. A million jobs disappeared. And industry losses for the year totaled $126 billion. Many governments recognized aviation’s critical contributions and provided financial lifelines and other forms of support. But it was the rapid actions by airlines and the commitment of our people that saw the airline industry through the most difficult year in its history,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

02/08/2021

Important notice for visitors traveling to Saudi Arabia on a tourism visa.

Saudi will reopen to vaccinated international visitors from 1 August 2021.

All visitors arriving in the country with a valid tourism visa must provide evidence of a full course of one the four vaccines currently recognized: two doses of the Oxford/Astra Zeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the vaccine produced by Johnson and Johnson.
Guests who have completed two doses of the Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines will be accepted if they have received an additional dose of one of the four vaccines approved in the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia has opened a web portal at https://muqeem.sa/ #/vaccine-registration/home for visitors to register their vaccination status. The site is available in Arabic and English.
Travelers arriving in Saudi Arabia are also required to provide a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before departure and an approved paper vaccination certificate, certified by the official health authorities in the issuing country.

There is no quarantine requirement for vaccinated travelers to Saudi.

All travelers entering on a previously issued tourism visa will be required to pay an additional fee of SAR 40 at the airport of their arrival to cover insurance for any COVID-19 related medical expenses.

Travelers are advised to check the current entry requirements with their chosen airline before they purchase a ticket.
For further information please contact www.visitsaudi.com

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20/07/2021

11/06/2021

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Restriction Detail
Date: 10 June 2021

All air transport services and/or inbound and transiting passenger movements are suspended, from the following destinations, effective from Friday 11th June 2021 – 23:59 hrs. – UAE time, until further notice:

Uganda, Zambia and The Democratic Republic of the Congo

1- This decision is applicable to:

(a) All Passengers arriving from the aforesaid countries to UAE

(b) All transit Passengers through Dubai Airports from the aforesaid countries

(c) All Passenger (Arrivals-Transit) from other countries those who have travelled to and/or visited the aforesaid countries within fourteen (14) days prior to the entry in to the UAE.

2- This decision does not apply to:

(a) UAE nationals and their 1st degree relatives arriving from the aforesaid countries;

(b) Members of the Diplomatic missions from both countries;

(c) Officials and those passengers exempted and/or granted permission to enter UAE by the appropriate authorities;

(d) Holders of a UAE Golden and Silver Visa;

(e) Freighter flights crew and the crew of the foreign operators subject to that they shall undergo a PCR test 24 hours before departure and hold a valid negative PCR test certificate; Upon arrival, they shall quarantine in a hotel until their next flight, where they should directly go the airport without interacting with public.

3- All passengers who are exempted as provided in clause 2 above to enter the Emirate of Dubai, shall ensure that the following preventive measures will be fulfilled by them:

(a) Hold a VALID Covid-19 Test certificate that is issued within the valid time frame, namely, 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample. Issued from approved health service providers by (Pure Health) which use QR code;

(b) Self-Quarantine for a period of ten (10) days from the date of arrival;

4- This decision will not apply to: -

(a) Passengers departing from UAE Airports;

(b) Transit passenger(s) arriving from countries other than the aforesaid countries who will travel from UAE to the same, provided that they do not enter UAE;

(c) The crew of the national carriers, subject to the condition laid down in the applicable protocols and procedures related to the preventing measures and procedures for aircraft crew;

5- Additional instructions:-

(a) All passengers arriving in the UAE are subject to the regulation applicable in UAE with regard to Identity and citizen.

(b) For additional/non-scheduled flights, prior permission is required from the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority(NCEMA), five (5) days before the flight, which should submitted to Dubai Civil Aviation Authority through email: [email protected]

(c) The condition stipulated in Clause 3 above are applicable to passengers arriving via private aircraft, business flights and Ambulance flights.

Date: 05 June 2021

The operation of all air services and/or inbound passenger movement to UAE from any point in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Vietnam) is suspended, effective from Saturday 5th June 2021 at 23:59hrs, until further notice.

1. This decision is applicable to the following:

a) All passengers arriving to UAE from the concerned country.

b) All transit passenger through UAE Airports from the concerned country

c) All arriving and/or transiting passengers from other countries who have been in Vietnam within fourteen (14) days prior to their entry in to the UAE

2. This decision does not apply to the following:

a) UAE nationals and their 1st degree relatives arriving from Vietnam;

b) Members of the Diplomatic missions from both countries;

c) Holders of a UAE Golden and Silver Visa;

d) Officials and those passengers exempted and/or granted permission to enter UAE by the appropriate authorities;

e) The passengers who have completed 28 days, after being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (Coronavirus SARS Cov-approved by the World Health Organization (WHO);

Passenger(s) shall provide evidence thereto through: –

(i) Electronic applications approved in the concerned country or the United Arab Emirate;

(ii) Valid Vaccination certificate/card issued by the official health service providers in the concerned countries;

The airlines shall ensure and/or verify the authenticity of the above requirement in paragraph (e) above prior to boarding the aircraft and shall not accept any passenger(s) who does not fulfill the aforesaid condition(s).

If the airline carries any passenger(s) who fails to meet the aforesaid requirements, the airline will be held responsible to return such passenger to the point of embarkation and also to other matters that may arise therefrom.

f) The airline crew of freighter flights and foreign carriers operating transit flights through Dubai, shall undergo a PCR test 48 hours before departure and hold a valid negative PCR test certificate;

Upon arrival, they shall quarantine in a hotel until their next flight, where they should directly go the airport without interacting with public.

g) Businessmen who had obtained required approval from the members of the Supreme committees in each emirate and the COVID 19-Command and Control Centre- Dubai, United Arab Emirates;

3. All passengers who are excepted as provided in clause 1 above to enter the Emirate of Dubai, shall ensure that the following preventing measures will be complied by them:-

(a) Hold a VALID Covid-19 Test certificate that is issued within the valid time frame, namely, 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample. Issued from approved health service providers by (Pure Health) which use QR code;

(b) Self-Quarantine for a period of ten (10) days from the date of arrival;

4. This decision will not apply to: -

(a) Passengers departing from UAE Airports;

(b) Transit passenger(s) arriving from other countries than the country of concern who will travel from UAE to Vietnam, provided that they do not enter UAE;

(c) The crew of the national carriers, subject to the condition laid down in the applicable protocols and procedures related to the preventing measures and procedures for aircraft crew;

5. Additional instructions: -

(a) All passengers arriving in the UAE are subject to the regulation applicable in UAE with regard to Identity and citizen.

(b) For additional/non-scheduled flights, prior permission is required from the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, five (5) days before the flight, which should submitted to Dubai Civil Aviation Authority through email: [email protected]

(c) The condition stipulated in Clause 3 above are applicable to passengers arriving via private aircraft, business flights and Ambulance flights.

10/06/2021

Hopes Rise for Vaccinated Travelers in Europe, but Global Restart Still Stalled

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the relaxation of COVID-19 border measures for vaccinated passengers, and the broader use of affordable antigen testing adopted by Spain and France this week. This is tempered by ongoing disappointment at the failure to implement harmonized measures across Europe and deep frustration at the lack of coordination among governments worldwide for a data-driven risk-managed approach to re-establishing the freedom to travel.

As of 7 June, Spain opened its borders to most vaccinated travelers from around the world and allowed EU travelers to enter the country with a negative antigen test. Furthermore, passengers coming from low-risk countries (including the UK) can enter without any restrictions.

From 9 June France opened to vaccinated travelers from all but those countries assessed as “high risk”. Vaccinated travelers from “medium-risk” countries will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test, and unvaccinated people must still self-isolate for seven days.
“It’s encouraging to see more European countries taking steps to reopen borders. They recognize the opportunity created by vaccination and are making travel more affordable with the use of antigen testing. But this approach is not universal across the continent. Many European states have yet to significantly relax borders at all. This fragmentation should be replaced with a unified approach that is consistent with the recommendations of the EU to which they belong. People, businesses and economies would all benefit from greater alignment across Europe in relaxing measures and restoring the freedom to travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

A consistent approach across Europe is required if the EU Digital COVID Certificate is to be implemented effectively by 1 July. And around the world, governments need to allow digital certificates to be integrated in passenger applications such as IATA Travel Pass, in order to relieve pressure on airports and at borders from more complex passenger processing as the number of travelers ramps up.

IATA Urges a More Global Approach

These moves by Spain, France and other European states are a step in the right direction, but restoring global connectivity requires far more than regional or individual state initiatives. The G20 endorsed a data-driven approach to managing the risks of COVID-19 while re-opening borders. The upcoming G7 Leaders’ Summit on 11-13 June provides an important opportunity for these governments to use their leadership to kick-start a data-driven coordinated approach to re-establishing global air connectivity.

“Connectivity needs countries at both ends of the journey to be open. Many of the world’s largest air travel markets, such Australia, China, the UK, Japan, and Canada remain essentially closed with no clear plans to guide a reopening. Data should help these and other countries to introduce targeted policies that keep populations safe while moving towards a normality in world with COVID-19 for some time to come. The G7 has an opportunity later this month to set a risk-managed framework for re-establishing the freedom to travel in a way that is both affordable and practical. It’s critical that they take up the challenge,” said Walsh.

03/06/2021

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Restriction Detail
Date: 03 June 2021

Travel from Nigeria and South Africa:

Effective Friday 04th June 2021 at 00:01hours, the suspension imposed on air transport services and/or inbound passenger movement to Dubai from Nigeria, is extended for further period of fourteen days (14 days).This decision does not apply to the members of the diplomatic missions, UAE nationals and those passengers exempted and/or granted permission to enter UAE by the appropriate authorities. In addition, please be advised that, this decision does not apply to freighter operation, business flights and the outbound passengers from UAE.


Effective Friday 04th June 2021 at 00:01hours, the suspension imposed on air transport services and/or inbound passenger movement to Dubai from South Africa, is extended for further period of fourteen days (14 days).
This decision does not apply to the members of the diplomatic missions, UAE nationals and those passengers exempted and/or granted permission to enter UAE by the appropriate authorities. In addition, please be advised that, this decision does not apply to freighter operation and the outbound passengers from UAE airports.

19/05/2021

Accepting Vaccinated Passengers Should be Global Best Practice to Reopen Borders

19 May 2021

No: 32

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) applauded the growing number of countries making data and evidence-driven decisions to open their borders to vaccinated travelers. The latest data collected by IATA, including its Timatic service, shows that more than 20 countries have wholly or partially lifted restrictions for vaccinated travelers.

IATA supports unrestricted access to travel for vaccinated travelers. In cases where vaccination is not possible, access to quarantine-free travel should be provided through COVID-19 testing strategies based on widely available, free-of-charge tests.

Germany is among the latest countries to make quarantine alleviations for vaccinated travelers. Vaccinated travelers are no longer subject to quarantine measures (except from certain high-risk countries). Germany has also removed quarantine requirements for travelers with a negative COVID-19 test result (except from certain high-risk countries).

The German government decision followed a review of scientific advice from the world-renowned Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which concluded that vaccinated travelers are no longer significant in the spread of the disease and do not pose a major risk to the German population. Specifically, it stated that vaccination reduces risk of COVID-19 transmission to levels below the risk from a false negative rapid antigen test.

The implementation of this policy aligns Germany with recommendations from both the European Commission and the European Parliament, based on similar scientific advice from the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC). In its interim guidance on the benefits of full vaccination, the ECDC said that “based on the limited evidence available, the likelihood of an infected vaccinated person transmitting the disease is currently assessed to be very low to low.”

Similar conclusions are being reached on the other side of the Atlantic. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) has noted that “with a 90% effective vaccine, pre-travel testing, post-travel testing, and 7-day self-quarantine provide minimal additional benefit.”

“A safe opening of borders to international travel is the goal. And scientific evidence and data such as that presented by RKI, ECDC and USC CDC should be the basis for the decision-making needed to achieve that. There is increasing scientific evidence that vaccination is not only protecting people but also dramatically reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This is bringing us closer to a world where vaccination and testing enables the freedom to travel without quarantine. Germany and at least 20 other countries have already taken an important step forward in re-opening their borders to vaccinated travelers. These are the best practice examples for others to quickly follow,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

An Important Incentive for Vaccination

According to the US CDC, alleviations from COVID-19 restrictions are a powerful motivator for vaccination, particularly in communities where vaccine hesitancy is prevalent. This is an additional and important benefit of restriction-free travel for those vaccinated. IATA polling indicates that 81% of international travelers are willing to get vaccinated in order to be able to travel. Moreover, 74% of people in the same poll agreed that those vaccinated should be able to travel by air without restrictions.

Digital Solutions for Vaccination/Test Certificates

The decisions of increasing numbers of countries to accept vaccinated travelers without quarantine measures adds pressure for a digital solution to manage vaccine certificates and COVID-19 test results. Paper-based processes could lead to extremely long processing times at check-in and border control. They also open the door to fraud. Digital vaccine/test certificates, coupled with passenger apps such as the IATA Travel Pass, will be needed to manage travel health credentials efficiently and securely in the restart.

Recent IATA polling shows strong support for a digital solution.

89% supported globally standardized COVID-19 test or vaccination certifications
84% want an app to manage their travel health credentials
“A gap is opening up between countries responding to scientific evidence, and those exhibiting a lack of preparation or excessive caution in reopening borders. Countries that seize the opportunity offered by the increasing numbers of vaccinated travelers can protect their populations and reap an economic reward,” said Walsh.