atm-blog

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018

#ATMDubai 2018 Day One – The Highlights!

Blog

At midday today the 25th edition of Arabian Travel Market, the leading global event for the Middle East, got underway! Inbound and outbound tourism professionals filled the halls, all here ... Read more

April 20, 2018August 20, 2018

Big interview: Setting responsible travel standards

Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, Spring 2018 Magazine

G Adventures has helped push sustainable tourism to the top of the world travel agenda. Katherine Lawrey speaks to founder Bruce Poon Tip about how the company did it ... Read more

April 19, 2018

Middle East Carriers and Luxury: A Battle of Indulgence

Luxury

Let’s all do a little time-travelling and look back in the mid-90’s to early 2000’s. This was a time in commercial travel where in general, airlines’ business class seats were ... Read more

April 18, 2018

Four question with VILA VITA

Blog

1. What are you looking to promote at ATM this year? After extensive refurbishment of all 194 rooms in our luxurious hotel in Marburg, Germany we are hoping to encourage ... Read more

April 18, 2018August 20, 2018

Bahamas – doors open at Baha Mar

Destinations, Spring 2018 Magazine

After financial difficulties impeded the opening of Baha Mar in the Bahamas, the development is finally welcoming guests. Andrew Doherty reports Following more than two years of delays, the ... Read more

April 17, 2018April 30, 2018

Responsible Tourism moves centre stage

Responsible Tourism

TUI recently published survey results on UK consumer demand. 62% of UK holidaymakers agree it makes them feel better when they know their holiday was organised with respect for nature ... Read more

April 16, 2018August 20, 2018

A golden year for Mauritius

Destinations, Spring 2018 Magazine

Celebrations around the island, new aircraft for Air Mauritius and hotel refurbishments mark an anniversary year, finds Katherine Lawrey This year will be a special one for Mauritius as ... Read more

April 13, 2018

Wellness at The Begnas Lake Resort & Villas

Destinations, Wellness

According to ancient Hindu beliefs, Ayurveda was gifted to mankind by Lord Brahma (Creator of the Universe) to help us lead a healthy and fruitful life free from mortal ailments. ... Read more

April 13, 2018

Wellness and Medical Haven in India

Destinations, Wellness

SOUKYA International Holistic Health Centre, is the first healing centre of its kind in the world where it judiciously combines different traditional systems of medicine including Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Yoga ... Read more

April 12, 2018May 10, 2018

Smart Tourism 2020

Technology

One of the seminar sessions I am running at this year’s Arabian Travel Market is called Smart Tourism 2020. I do work within both the tourism and travel industries and ... Read more

April 11, 2018May 10, 2018

Artificial intelligence: to infinity and beyond

Spring 2018 Magazine, Technology

Artificial intelligence has the potential to be as transformative as the introduction of computers – and the travel industry stands to benefit. Jenny Southan explains Over the past few years, ... Read more

April 10, 2018April 25, 2018

Is Day Zero becoming the new normal, and not just in Cape Town?

Carbon & Water, Destinations, Development

This month, Cape Town may or may not reach Day Zero, signifying the point at which the city runs out of water. According to an April 9th article on South ... Read more

April 9, 2018April 11, 2018

Responsible relaxation in Central America

Responsible Tourism, Spring 2018 Magazine, Wellness

Wellness and sustainable travel are top of the agenda for Central America tourism boards, writes Katherine Lawrey Costa Rica is promoting a new tourism strategy for 2018 titled Wellness Pura ... Read more

April 9, 2018April 9, 2018

A vigorous future for tourism in Dubai

Hospitality

As the tourism and hospitality sectors in the GCC mature, Dubai’s hotel supply continues to grow from 105,000 keys to 130,000 keys in the next year or so. As supply ... Read more

April 6, 2018

Prepare to be impressed by Dubai

Destinations, Spring 2018 Magazine

Dubai continues to break the mould with its attractions and hotels. Tom Jordan rounds up new headline acts in the emirate and elsewhere As Dubai Expo 2020 creeps ever nearer, ... Read more

April 4, 2018May 10, 2018

Comparing the Middle East travel market to other regions

Technology, Trends

Phocuswright has been tracking the size and growth of total and online travel markets for over two decades. In 2017, we sized the total market globally at US$1.6T. While online ... Read more

March 28, 2018July 5, 2021

The reasons driving a boom in Sri Lanka’s tourism

Destinations, Spring 2018 Magazine

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is prospering, fuelled by a diversification of its visitor markets. Dave Richardson explains Nearly a decade on from the end of its civil war, Sri Lanka ... Read more

March 26, 2018April 3, 2018

Healthy outlook for wellness tourism

Spring 2018 Magazine, Trends, Wellness

A new report by the Global Wellness Institute sheds light on the spa trends of the future. Charlotte Cullinan asks the experts how these will change the industry The wellness ... Read more

March 23, 2018April 3, 2018

Q&A with the Oman Ministry of Tourism

Destinations, Spring 2018 Magazine

Maitha Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary for the Oman Ministry of Tourism, shares the country’s tourism strategy Oman’s goal by 2040 is to attract 11.7 million annual visitors. How do you aim ... Read more

March 21, 2018May 10, 2018

Millennials, mobile fuel soaring online bookings in Middle East

Destinations, Technology, Trends

The Middle East’s relatively young population (38% below 20 years old and 27% millennials) and high Internet penetration (74%) are helping to driving double-digit growth in the region’s online travel ... Read more

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018

Making a Difference with Every Holiday

RT Marketing

Thomas Cook has just launched a new three-year sustainability strategy, promising to “Make a Difference with Every Holiday”. Their ambition is to make a positive contribution to the destinations they ... Read more

March 20, 2018April 3, 2018

Cold is the new hot

Luxury, Spring 2018 Magazine

Virtuoso, a luxury consortium with a keen eye on global trends, gives the lowdown on the luxury market to Charlotte Cullinan Luxury travellers will be heading to colder climes in ... Read more

March 19, 2018

Why is there a luxury hotel boom in the Middle East?

Luxury

As travellers enjoy the benefits of shared economy business models in companies like Airbnb and Uber, I cannot help but think that the theory of negative correlation rings true across ... Read more

March 15, 2018May 10, 2018

Losing your voice

Technology

I have been doing some research for a presentation I will be giving next month. I am going to be talking about our future customers – Generation Z. They were ... Read more

March 14, 2018April 3, 2018

Benefits of tourism grant programme spread throughout England

Destinations, Economy, Spring 2018 Magazine

A £40 million Discover England fund has been distributed to ensure England stays competitive in the global tourism industry. Debbie Ward finds out what the grant recipients will bring to ... Read more

March 13, 2018March 13, 2018

How to engage tourists in sustainable tourism (Part 2): redesign the loyalty scheme

Carbon & Water, Development, Hospitality, RT Marketing, Social Economy

Last week, I spent a night in a hotel in Brussels that has taken a circular economy approach to redesigning the way its loyalty scheme works. Following on from my ... Read more

March 9, 2018April 3, 2018

Cape Town’s Big Five tourism trends

Destinations, Responsible Tourism, Spring 2018 Magazine, Trends

Here are five ways that Cape Town, host city of WTM Africa, is at the forefront of tourism trends, writes Katherine Lawrey. 1. Investment in Halal training Cape Town Tourism ... Read more

March 7, 2018May 10, 2018

City break innovations in a Balearic capital

Destinations, Spring 2018 Magazine, Technology

Now that Palma de Mallorca has reinvented itself as a city break destination, Katherine Lawrey finds out how the city is refining the visitor experience. Encouraging visitors to disperse throughout ... Read more

March 6, 2018

Travelling to encounter the other

Blog, Development, Social Economy

Fifty years ago my father took me for a day trip to Boulogne, just across the channel from Ramsgate. He headed us straight for the back streets to see how ... Read more

February 27, 2018

How to engage tourists in sustainable tourism – make them feel proud to come

RT Marketing

What connects most of the recent high profile campaigns to make tourism more responsible? Stop riding elephants. Don’t swim with dolphins. Avoid handicrafts made from endangered species. No selfies with ... Read more

February 22, 2018March 2, 2018

How can travel brands appeal more to the Millennials of the Middle East?

Luxury

If there’s any consumer market that’s been studied the most the in last five years, it would be Generation Y, more popularly known as the Millennials. Millennials, classified as those ... Read more

February 20, 2018

Orphanages: Slavery and Birthday Parties

Human Rights

There is mounting concern about orphanages and tourism around the world, but the response has been patchy. Our world is a diverse place and our understanding of orphanages varies between ... Read more

February 13, 2018

To deal with the climate costs of flying, we need to talk about growth and carbon offsetting

Carbon & Water

Last week Harold Goodwin’s blog laid out his reasons why the aviation industry’s approach to addressing its ongoing growth in emissions is inadequate. This week, I want to look at ... Read more

February 12, 2018May 10, 2018

Grow your market worldwide – achieve competitive advantage as a Travel Agency

Technology

The Travel Industry has come a long way and is continuously developing. This includes both supply and demand. Latest trends shown in The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 indicate many ... Read more

February 8, 2018May 10, 2018

Digital travel is travel and how the Middle East stacks up

Technology, Trends

Phocuswright has been tracking the shift of global travel bookings from offline to digital for over 20 years. Today, while only about half of travel is booked online in the ... Read more

February 6, 2018

Aviation: Business as usual? Is that acceptable?

Carbon & Water

Globally aviation emits around 2% of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, bring its total emissions to around 5% of the global total; if aviation were a country it world rank ... Read more

February 1, 2018

Why there’s never been a better time to sell cruise

Trends

This year will see a record 27.2 million passengers take a cruise and more than 27 new ocean, river and specialty ships make their debut, the latest statistics from Cruise ... Read more

January 31, 2018

£22 for a sunlounger? Is no part of our holiday sacred?

Responsible Tourism

Thomas Cook is making the news this week for a new programme it is trialing to enable guests to pre-book sunloungers before they come on holiday. From the end of ... Read more

January 25, 2018May 10, 2018

Smart Tourism

Technology

I will be running a new seminar at this year’s Arabian Travel Market. I am calling it Smart Tourism. The ‘smart’ concept has reached almost everything around us. I have ... Read more

January 23, 2018January 31, 2018

What is the biggest threat to our global environment?

Carbon & Water

It is a kind of pollution. There are of course several contenders. Carbon emissions and consequent global warming, soil degradation, overpopulation, biodiversity and plastics. It is not easy to decide ... Read more

January 22, 2018January 23, 2018

5 minutes with Vincent Miccolis, Regional General Manager of The Ascott Limited

Hospitality

What are you looking to promote at ATM this year? This is an exciting year for The Ascott Limited as we expand our global footprint and set to surpass the ... Read more

January 16, 2018January 31, 2018

PATA’s excellent new hotel food waste resource shows need for collaborative solutions

Responsible Tourism

This week the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has launched an impressively extensive resource targeting food waste in hotels. Titled with one of the better acronyms around – BUFFET (Building ... Read more

January 12, 2018February 5, 2018

Five predictions for responsible tourism in 2018… and one I hope won’t happen

Carbon & Water, Development, Human Rights, Overtourism

In my last blog of 2017, I looked back at some of my personal responsible tourism highlights of that year. I’ve been on holiday for most of the time since ... Read more

January 9, 2018January 31, 2018

Taleb Rifai reflects on his tenure as Secretary-General of UNWTO

Development

2017 was the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Taleb Rifai’s tenure of office as Secretary General of UNWTO closed at the turn of the year and I asked ... Read more

December 20, 2017

The year in review: My highlights of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

Responsible Tourism

With the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development drawing to a close, I’ve looked back through the year’s headlines to chart an extremely personal selection of highlights from 2017… ... Read more

December 12, 2017

Social Media – a curate’s egg for tourism?

RT Marketing

The concept of the “curate’s egg” was first used in the British satirical magazine Punch by George du Maurier in November 1895. The curate was too timid to complain of ... Read more

December 5, 2017December 5, 2017

How to redesign tourism to end #pointlessplastics

Carbon & Water

A few days ago, a new hashtag started appearing on Twitter. Created by the Good Awards, #pointlessplastics is encouraging people to tweet images of the unnecessary use of plastics (one ... Read more

November 28, 2017

We can deal with climate change, if we all take our share of responsibility

Carbon & Water

At WTM London this month the least well-attended session of the Responsible Tourism programme was the one addressing climate change. We chose a panel of speakers from industry with experience ... Read more

November 21, 2017November 21, 2017

How can tourism help Dominica be the world’s first Climate Resilient Nation?

Development

Just two months ago, on September 18th, Hurricane Maria hit the Caribbean island of Dominica. Minutes before, this was the Nature Island, a tropical paradise of 365 river and pristine ... Read more

November 14, 2017November 21, 2017

WTM London: Taking responsibility for making tourism better

Responsible Tourism

Tuesday the 14th November 2007 was the first WTM & UNWTO World Responsible Tourism Day, today we are ten years on. This year at WTM London we looked back at ... Read more

October 31, 2017

From Human Rights to Plastic Pollution – there are 28 Responsible Tourism events at WTM London

Responsible Tourism

With a new Responsible Tourism Theatre in the Africa Section (AS580) the Responsible Tourism programme is now firmly established down on the show floor. An experiment last year it was ... Read more

October 24, 2017

Tourism’s Dirty Secret report reveals working conditions of hotel housekeepers

Human Rights

A report released last week into the working conditions of hundreds of thousands of women cleaning bedrooms and other hotel areas across the world. Published by Oxfam Canada, Tourism’s Dirty ... Read more

October 17, 2017October 20, 2017

On the Responsible Tourism Agenda at WTM London

Carbon & Water, Certification, Disability, Human Rights

World Responsible Tourism Day is on Wednesday this year and our main focus is on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Tanya Beckett will be interviewing tourism leaders from UNWTO, TUI ... Read more

October 10, 2017October 10, 2017

Electrical Flight is not the panacea for sustainable tourism

Carbon & Water

Alongside the stories of Ryanair and Monarch’s woes in the last few weeks have been excited posts on the potential of electric flight, following Easyjet’s announcement that it hopes to ... Read more

October 3, 2017October 10, 2017

The WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2017

Responsible Tourism

2017 is a transition year. responsibletravel.com has decided to pursue other priorities and to pioneer creative projects to deliver change through our business; our activism and Trip for a Trip ... Read more

September 26, 2017October 4, 2017

World Tourism Day 2017: opportunities and challenges for achieving sustainable tourism

Development

World Tourism Day occurs this week, with the theme for 2017 being “Sustainable Tourism – a tool for development”. According to the UNWTO’s official site for the event, “World Tourism ... Read more

September 20, 2017October 4, 2017

What contributions do businesses make to local sustainable development? Which do best?

Development, Responsible Tourism

With the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development focus on travelling with respect (#TravelEnjoyRespect) we have focused on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Respect is one of the core ... Read more

September 13, 2017October 4, 2017

After Irma: lessons from nature for tourism and a resilient future

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism

The images from the impact of Hurricane Irma on Caribbean islands such as Barbuda are shocking. These are places whose beaches and coastlines epitomise what many of us imagine when ... Read more

September 5, 2017October 4, 2017

WTM Responsible Tourism Awards

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

Word Responsible Tourism Awards have been presented at World Travel Market in London since 2004. Each year we have seen the bar rise, competition has been tough and the successive ... Read more

August 30, 2017October 10, 2017

Using social media to do more than sell holidays

Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, Social Media

Among this summer’s slew of stories about overtourism, one took a slightly different angle. In an article titled 10 tourist destinations ruined by Instagram, the Independent reported how “the rise ... Read more

August 22, 2017October 4, 2017

Modern Slavery in the UK and in orphanages

Human Rights, Responsible Tourism

Modern slavery is an underground issue in the UK, it is hidden from view. Trafficking is at the heart of much of it. I know of no evidence that children ... Read more

August 15, 2017October 4, 2017

Why tourism needs to support rewilding initiatives

Development, Responsible Tourism

Last week I spent an afternoon training my binoculars on a field of cows. I got very excited by the sight of some pigs walking down a lane. Then had ... Read more

August 8, 2017October 4, 2017

“Anarchist threat to tourists”

Overtourism, Responsible Tourism

Last Saturday the London Times led its front page with a photo of Mo Farah winning the 10,000m at the IAAF world championships. But the headline on the front page ... Read more

August 1, 2017October 4, 2017

How can we truly measure tourism’s impact?

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

When people are looking to assert how important tourism is as an industry, they are likely to cite the proportion of global Gross Domestic Product that it is responsible for. ... Read more

July 25, 2017October 4, 2017

Tourism is not a zero sum game

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

When you are working in the field trying to improve the livelihoods of local people this is the kind of email you want to receive: ““Hi – Peter , sorry ... Read more

July 19, 2017October 4, 2017

Could the world’s hotels run on renewable energy?

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism

Last week a significant climate change milestone was passed. On July 10th, the Climate Group’s RE100 (the RE standing for renewable energy) announced that the 100th multinational had signed up ... Read more

July 14, 2017September 18, 2017

Tourism’s Natural Advantage: Creating Shared Value

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

The concept of shared value emerges from the writing of Harvard Professor Michael Porter– well-known for his previous work on competition strategy, value chains and cluster theory. In 2011, in ... Read more

July 4, 2017September 18, 2017

Why tourism finds it hard to talk about climate change

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism

Despite the rain pouring down outside my window right now and the fact I am wearing a jumper in late June, I can’t actually see climate change. I can go ... Read more

June 27, 2017September 18, 2017

Tourism, decent work and the SDGs

Development, Disability, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

Tourism and hospitality are labour intensive, with 8% of the global workforce employed in the sector. As the ILO has pointed out there are many highly skilled well trained professionals ... Read more

June 20, 2017September 18, 2017

How tourism is providing hospitality and support to refugees and asylum seekers

Human Rights, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog for this site reporting on inspirational tourism industry initiatives responding to the refugee crisis. My aim was to show “how tourism ... Read more

June 13, 2017September 18, 2017

Hotels, the SDGs and transparent reporting

Carbon & Water, Certification, Responsible Tourism, Video

At the heart of Responsible Tourism are commitments to transparency and accountability. Responsible Tourism is about what people do, individually and collectively in businesses, to move towards sustainability. It is ... Read more

June 6, 2017September 18, 2017

Pandora’s Paradox: social media, tourism and FOMO

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Social Media

Last week, a village in Switzerland got loads of press coverage for banning tourists from taking photos of its scenery and sharing them on social media. According to the local ... Read more

May 31, 2017September 18, 2017

Certification: what comes next?

Carbon & Water, Certification, Responsible Tourism

The purpose of consumer facing certification is presumably to assure the guest or client that the hotel they are planning to stay in, or the operator they plan to travel ... Read more

May 22, 2017September 18, 2017

Bringing Biodiversity back home – lessons from the graveyard

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism

Today is the UN’s International Day for Biodiversity. This year being the UN’s International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the theme is ‘Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism’. Last Sunday, I ... Read more

May 9, 2017September 18, 2017

Embracing timeshare to tackle tourism issues

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

Timeshare is almost a dirty word in tourism today. But its structure offers much for those trying to make the industry more sustainable. It can deepen connections between guests and ... Read more

May 2, 2017September 12, 2017

WTM Responsible Tourism Awards 2017

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy, Video

For many years the industry has asserted its economic and social importance. The WTTC suggests that travel & tourism is 10.2% of world GDP and that the sector employs 292 million ... Read more

April 27, 2017May 15, 2017

#ATMDubai – The Final Day!

Blog

The fourth and final day of #ATMDubai did not disappoint. The halls were once again packed with industry professionals looking to unlock business potential within the Middle East. Meanwhile, there ... Read more

April 26, 2017May 15, 2017

#ATMDubai Day 3 – The Highlights

Blog

Day three at #ATMDubai continued the theme; quality and quantity of exhibitors, visitors and buyers, plus another packed day of education across the ATM Event Programme. If you haven’t joined ... Read more

April 25, 2017September 18, 2017

New European student travel scheme offers a vision of tourism’s future

Carbon & Water, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

If I was asked to sum up the challenge facing tourism in one sentence, I would say something like the following: Can the travel industry of the future be environmentally ... Read more

April 25, 2017May 15, 2017

#ATMDubai Day Two – What did you miss?

Blog

Day two at #ATMDubai kicked off with an in-depth look at cruise tourism. With Dubai alone targeting one million cruise tourists by 2020, our cruise experts were on hand to ... Read more

April 24, 2017May 15, 2017

#ATMDubai Day 1 – The best bits!

Blog

At 1pm today Arabian Travel Market opened its doors. Tourism professionals from around the world filled the halls, all here to take advantage of this unique opportunity to unlock business potential ... Read more

April 21, 2017September 13, 2017

Responsible Tourism and the African Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM Africa

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy

The first Responsible Tourism panel on market access for SMEs and emerging entrepreneurs drew an audience of 90 to hear Enver Mally – originally an SME and now part of ... Read more

April 19, 2017April 19, 2017

La Perle: how a resident show can boost Dubai’s economy

Blog

When you mention Dubai to a tourist, it conjures images of the Burj Khalifa, sunny beaches and, of course, a shopping metropolis. Until now, other than a sensational choice of ... Read more

April 11, 2017September 18, 2017

If you’re looking after the environment, you’re looking after your guests. Tell them.

Carbon & Water, Development, Human Rights, Responsible Tourism

Written above a doorway at London’s Horniman Museum is an Einstein quote that reads: ‘The environment is everything except myself.’ When I saw it last week it reminded me of ... Read more

April 4, 2017September 18, 2017

World Travel Market and the Sustainable Development Goals

Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy, Video

WTM, supported by the UNWTO, has sought to present examples of good practice to educate, inspire and challenge business and destinations to deliver on sustainability through WTM Responsible Tourism and ... Read more

March 30, 2017March 30, 2017

Asian Airline Perspectives at this year’s ATM

Aviation, Blog

I’m looking forward to a lively discussion with our line up of airline leaders from Asia. We are fortunate to have two of them joining us and there’s plenty to ... Read more

March 28, 2017August 10, 2017

Tourism in Saudi Arabia – Huge Opportunities for a Transformation to a New Economy

Hospitality

With The Saudi’s endeavour to attract more foreign visitors in an attempt to open both the economy and the tourism industry to the world, the need to broaden the travel, ... Read more

March 28, 2017September 18, 2017

Tourism will be the future’s most important industry. We aren’t ready.

Carbon & Water, Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Social Economy

Last weekend I paid for my shopping at a self-service till. I swiped my credit card across the automatic turnstile on the Underground. I streamed a movie from my Netflix ... Read more

March 27, 2017March 28, 2017

The time is right for female tourism entrepreneurship in the MENA region!

Women in Travel

Entrepreneurship is an important yet untapped resource in the MENA region. Even as recently as the 3rd March 2017, an event was held in Brussels with several institutional actors from ... Read more

March 21, 2017September 18, 2017

Seasonality, Cruises and Overtourism: Coping with Success

Carbon & Water, Development, Overtourism, Responsible Tourism

How does a small archipelago cope with becoming Britain’s most successful cruise destination? In 2011 there were 36,000 cruise passengers, last year there were close to 100,000, projected to hit ... Read more

March 15, 2017September 18, 2017

Why it matters what stories tourism tells to promote destinations

Human Rights, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Social Economy

Museums and Heritage Advisor doesn’t sound like a particularly radical or controversy-seeking website. Described as “The ultimate news, product and opinion resource for museum, gallery, cultural and heritage visitor attraction professionals”, ... Read more

March 13, 2017March 13, 2017

Why Experiential Travel Is Not Just For Millennials

Blog

Millenials, often known as the smartphone generation as 76% of them own smartphones globally, are often associated with experiential travel. Yet, according to TripBarometer, 2015, 69% of global travellers – of ... Read more

March 8, 2017September 18, 2017

Does tourism really contribute to sustainable development?

Carbon & Water, Development, Responsible Tourism, Social Economy, Video

The Resolution of the 70th United Nations General Assembly to designate 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development has shone the spotlight on tourism. Tourism will either ... Read more

March 1, 2017September 18, 2017

How should men mark International Women’s Day 2017?

Responsible Tourism, Women in Travel

I should start by apologising to all women readers of this blog. You will learn nothing new from it. I doubt I have anything to say that you don’t already ... Read more

February 27, 2017March 6, 2017

SEO Is Changing Completely In 2017. Here’s What You Need To Know

Blog, Technology

Technology is changing the travel industry so quickly and relentlessly that it feels impossible to keep up. How can one company possibly keep up with everything from bluetooth beacons to ... Read more

February 23, 2017May 17, 2017

Top Travel, Tourism, & Hospitality Trends For 2017

Blog, Hospitality, Trends

Many travel and hospitality professionals closed it doors on 2016 with a sigh of relief. Low oil prices, dramatic political changes, and unstable geo-political factors have all had a significant ... Read more

February 21, 2017September 18, 2017

Should destinations focus on yield rather than arrivals?

Development, Overtourism, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing

From a consumer or traveller perspective there are many answers, but it is not difficult for a traveller or holidaymaker to say why they are travelling. It could relate to ... Read more

February 14, 2017September 18, 2017

Will Transformative Tourism be more than the latest travel trend?

Development, Responsible Tourism, RT Marketing, Trends

Industry leaders are discussing why ‘Transformative Travel’ will be the travel trend of 2017 after Vogue released this article in January. While 2016 was all about experiential travel, this year ... Read more

February 8, 2017February 8, 2017

Challenging Times ahead for the Region’s Airlines

Aviation, Blog

The airline business in the Gulf is always interesting, the dynamics shift regularly. As this year’s ATM approaches there are a number of challenges brewing with 2017 looking likely to ... Read more