Travel & Hospitality Industry Updates

US-EU Agree Tentative 'Open Skies' Deal
The United States and the European Union reached a tentative deal to expand aviation service and boost competition on both sides of the Atlantic. The deal, if approved, would allow every EU and US-based airline to fly between every city in Europe and the United States.

The deal would effectively remove fiercely protected competition barriers to London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's foremost gateway for international business travel. The agreement would not impose restrictions on the frequency of service to and from any European or US city, the type of aircraft used, or routes selected by airlines. It would also permit unlimited rights for service beyond the 25 member EU states and United States to points in third.

Competition bound to heat up between Airbus and Boeing with launch of stretched Boeing 747
Boeing launched its biggest airliner announcing orders worth USD$5 billion for a stretched and upgraded version of its 747 from freight carriers Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines. Rival Airbus plans to deliver its mammoth A380 doubledecker late next year, while Boeing's 747-8 will target users of the long-serving 747 with two stretched versions powered by new, more efficient engines. Luxembourg-based Cargolux has ordered 10 of the 747-8 freighter version and taken purchase rights for a further 10, Boeing said in a news release. Deliveries are to begin in the third quarter of 2009. Japan-based Nippon Cargo ordered eight and took options for six more and will receive the first in the fourth quarter of 2009. Boeing is also offering a passenger version of the plane called the 747-8 Intercontinental, but has yet to announce a buyer.

The Intercontinental will be 3.6 metres (11.7 feet) longer than the current 747-400 and fit 34 additional seats while the freighter will be 5.6 metres (18.3 feet) longer than the 747-400 freighter. Boeing said the 747-8 would cost 20 percent less to operate per flight than the Airbus A380. The A380, with its extended upper deck and seating for more than 800, has cost EUR12 billion (USD$14 billion) to develop and is aimed at eclipsing the 747, which entered service in 1970 and has undergone extensive upgrades since

Visa is Named 'World's Leading Credit Card' for Eighth Consecutive Year at World Travel Awards
For the eighth consecutive year the World Travel Awards, the prestigious awards ceremony that acknowledges significant achievements in all areas of the travel and tourism industry, has named Visa the "World's Leading Credit Card." The prize was awarded based on a worldwide online poll of travel agencies and frontline travel agents. Criteria used in evaluating companies and organizations include scope of distribution, convenience, and overall best services. The online voting took place throughout 2005 at www.worldtravelawards.com. This enabled over 176,000 travel professionals, including 110,000 travel agents, worldwide the opportunity to let the world know who they think are the world's best in the travel industry. The winner was chosen from the following payment cards - American Express, MasterCard, Diner's Club, Visa and JCB.

Chiang Mai Safari: The new NIGHT SAFARI plans to have a “WILD” buffet
Visitors offered daily buffet of lion, tiger, elephant and giraffe meat; conservation groups outraged. Lovers of “wild” cuisine are in for a treat when Chiang Mai's Night Safari opens next year.

Visitors to the park's Vareekunchorn restaurant will have the option of tucking in to an “Exotic Buffet” of tiger, lion, elephant and giraffe, for 4500 Thai Bhats per head. The park, which had a soft opening officially opens on New Year's Day. The animal-buffet idea has drawn strong protests from wildlife groups, which have expressed concern that the menu of endangered and protected animals will confuse the public and foreign visitors about the real objective of the zoo, as well as Thailand's stance on wildlife conservation.

According to the project manager of the zoo, animals for the buffet would be imported daily and legally to the zoo. Ironically, the prime minister said the park would aim to increase public awareness of natural science and wildlife. “The zoo will be outstanding, with several restaurants offering visitors the chance to experience exotic foods such as imported horse, kangaroo, giraffe, snake, elephant, tiger and lion meat.

“We will also provide domestic crocodile and dog meat from Sakon Nakhon province according to Plodprasop, the Project Manager. The food provided at the buffet restaurant would be fresh daily and cooked by five foreign chefs. Wildlife Fund Thailand secretary Surapol Duangkae said that although consuming wildlife didn't violate Cites [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species], it could fly in the face of moral issues and worsen the country's image on wildlife-trade issues.

“The idea will set the country's image back a century, because nowadays zoos around the world aim to educate and conserve wildlife, as well as campaigning to stop the killing of animals,” he said. He said the action of the government would appear to the world as if Thailand approved of the endangered-wildlife trade and consumption. However, the prime minister seemed unconvinced by Plodprasop's idea as he said that only part of a crocodile's body could be eaten and it therefore wouldn't be worth killing.

India keen on going ahead with civil aviation growth plan
Continuing to forge new bilateral air services agreements, Indian civil ministry has indicated that it will soon sign air services agreements with many countries. In the last year or so, India has signed a spree of new bilateral services agreements, ones with including the US, the UK, Australia, Singapore, China and New Zealand among others. Civil Aviation minister Praful Patel said that efficient air transport is essential for a growing economy. ''If the present growth rate of 25 per cent continues for the next five years, India should have no difficulty in matching or even outperforming China as a preferred destination for aviation and tourism,'' he said.

''By 2012, aviation promises to attract investments totalling 30 billion dollars,'' he said.In 2004-05, 19.45 million international passenger movements were recorded. The domestic passenger movements were 40.09 million in the same period, as per the information available. ‘'A paradigm shift in approach entailing greater liberalisation and significant private sector participation

TIA Forecasts Overall Travel Increases for 2005 for the U.S. travel industry
According to the Travel Industry Association of America's (TIA) Annual Travel Forecast, 2005 will turn out to be a good year for the U.S. travel industry, with leisure travel by U.S. residents rising 4 percent this year and international travel to the U.S. jumping 7 percent. Spending by domestic and international travellers will increase 7.8 percent for full-year 2005 to nearly $646 billion. However, slow growth in fourth quarter 2005 -- a trend that is expected to continue through the first quarter of 2006 - should contribute to a modest growth forecast for full-year 2006.

Leisure travel volume is forecasted to increase just 2 percent in 2006, while international travel to the U.S. will rise 5.5 percent. Compared to 2005, the growth in travel spending by domestic and international visitors will increase a mere modest 4.4 percent in 2006 to $674 billion. TIA is forecasting a 1 percent increase in business travel volume for 2005 and a 1.6 percent increase for 2006.

British Airways has big plans for India
British Airways would increase the number of flights to India from 35 to 42 a week by the middle of 2006. The airline said the increased direct flights would be between London Heathrow and cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore.

As per the information available, BA would double the number of flight services from Heathrow airport in London to Delhi from one to two a day and intends to fly daily from Bangalore and Chennai. BA, which has doubled its weekly frequency of flights from 19 to 35, doubled its flights between London and Mumbai from one to two a day and London and Chennai from two to six, apart from launching the direct service from Bangalore.

DTCM Launch Destination Dubai 2006 Edition
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) launched the 2006 edition of its annual tourism manual Destination Dubai coinciding with the World Travel Market (WTM-2006) which was held in London in November this year. The 120-page manual is a comprehensive information book for all potential visitors to Dubai and documents the emirate's progress in trade, travel and tourism, sports while offering a complete list of shopping and other leisure options. For the first time this year, an Arabic version of Destination Dubai will be launched.

The Destination Dubai project was undertaken under the supervision of Mr. Ahmed Al Tunaiji, DTCM Manager Media and Advertising.The manual documents Dubai's fast transformation into a haven for sun seekers and shoppers and also a city of adventure, offering exciting discoveries in both mountain and desert terrain. Destination Dubai 2006 is an attempt to present Dubai's fantastic tourism options to a global audience. It contains valuable information like the places to visit, heritage sites, entertainment and tours, dining out options. It also looks into Dubai's visa regulations and visitors' easy access to visit visas.

Happy Birthdays in January…
Salzburg's Hotel Kobenzl rewards age difference to Mozart with variable discounts who is closest in age to Mozart?

Guests who celebrate their birthday in January while staying at the luxury hotel Kobenzl in Salzburg, get the difference between their and Mozart's age as discount in Euros off a weekly package with half board.

Mozart would have turned 250 in January. A fifty-year-old guest, therefore 200 years younger than Mozart, gets a discount of 200,- Euros off the weekly package. The guest who is closest in age to Mozart, wins a free stay for a week including half pension.

Hundred-year-old guests who are young at heart have a good chance of winning, says, tongue in cheek, Bernhard Wallmann (Traum & Vision Tourism Marketing), who had the idea. So if you are celebrating your birthday in January and planning to visit Austria, you can contact Hotel Kobenzl, Gaisberg 11, 5020 Salzburg or email info@kobenzl.at. In India, you can contact COMPACT TRAVELS for your holiday plans in 2006 to Austria, email compact@rbcsgroup.com or visit www.compacttravels.com

Airbus rebounds with Kingfisher
Airbus bounced back after Boeing's domination of the Dubai Air Show's first day as "air show showman" Vijay Mallya, Chairman of UB Group and its Kingfisher Airlines, confirmed the carrier's order for 30 more A320 family aircraft. Deliveries of the aircraft, which will comprise a mix of A319s and A320s, are due to begin in early 2008. Kingfisher already flies seven A320s and has three A319s due for delivery by December. In the six months since Kingfisher launched services, it has snared 6% of the Indian market. At the Paris Air Show in June it ordered five A380s, five A330s and five A350s for use on international services. The airline also announced an order at the show for 20 70-seat ATR 72-500s. The contract value was given as $350 million. The ATRs will be used on feeder services to Kingfisher's four hubs of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore

Emirates launches Second Daily non-stop JFK Dubai Flight
Capitalizing on strong industry and consumer acclaim and near sell-out demand for its non-stop JFK-Dubai service, which began in June 2004, Emirates launched a second daily non-stop flight between New York and Dubai. At the same time, the award-winning international airline opened its first U.S. passenger lounge in JFK's ultra-modern Terminal 4 designed to provide a full menu of amenities and services to First and Business Class passengers.

The new flight will depart JFK daily at 9:10 a.m., arriving in Dubai at 6:50 a.m. the following day. The return flight arrives at JFK every day at 7:10 a.m. As with the first flight, the service will use state-of-the-art A340-500 aircraft with some of the world's most luxurious inflight amenities, including fully enclosed First Class suites with flat beds and sliding doors and in-suite dining for the ultimate in privacy and comfort as well as award-winning Business Class services. This second flight means that Emirates will have the capacity to carry more than 500 passengers between New York and Dubai every day.