HOP! Immediate take-off for the Air France group`s new airline,Let`s

24 Degrees lands a new GM
Daisy Dingemans as their new General Manager.
Daisy is a Dutch national who has been in the region for the
past 10 years and truly understands the diversity of what the
Middle East has to offer.
She has worked around the globe in Senior Management Positions
for prestigious international hotel brands such as; Jumeirah,
Hyatt and Concorde Hotels & Resorts. During this time she
covered all aspects of hospitality, which gave her first hand
experience into the day to day operations. She quickly learned
that the ‘customer is king’ and those hotels that stoodout,
were the ones that employed great people who gave exceptional
service and always created memorable experiences. She lives by
these three disciplines; great people, great products, great
visionary!
Daisy is instinctively creative in her thinking and is excited
to implement some of the new initiatives that 24Degrees will
be undertaking in 2013. She is very hands on and passionate
about clients and their business and her desire is to position
24 Degrees as ‘the’ DMC of Choice in the Middle East.
With her warm and engaging approach she has the belief that
everything is possible! This passion will enable Daisy to
expand 24 Degrees already successful business model.
Mike Hummel – Owner of 24 Degrees has challenged Daisy to
expand the business geographically and also to develop new
business units within its portfolio. Mike is excited about
this appointment and knows that Daisy’s wealth of experience
along with her leadership style and desire to succeed will
take 24 Degrees into uncharted waters. 2013 is going to be a
year of growth, team development and trying new things…with
Daisy at the helm no stone will be left unturned!
The
number
of
leisure
travellers using their mobile
devices
for
travel
information has increased by
over 450% since 2009
Fewer tourists are using their computers to access travel
information, according to a GiestCentric report and, according
to IDC, by 2015 more users will access the internet through
their mobile devices than anything else. Not only are
potential customers using their mobile devices to access the
internet, but to plan their trips as well. Since 2009 the
number of leisure travellers using their mobile devices for
travel information has increased by over 450%, according to
The 2012 Traveler Study by Google and Ipsos MediaCT.
Percentage of travellers that use a mobile device to search
for travel information:
LEISURE
– 2009:
– 2010:
– 2011:
– 2012:
TRAVELERS
8%
18%
31%
38%
BUSINESS TRAVELERS
– 2009: 25%
– 2010: 40%
– 2011: 56%
– 2012: 57%
A great deal of these users ends up making their bookings via
mobile device. 40% of leisure travellers book using mobile
browsers, while only 12% book using apps. 36% of business
travellers book using mobile browsers while only 17% book
using apps.
Of the seven reasons that led potential customers not to make
a booking from their mobile devices, four of them were due to
the website’s lack of quality, another due to a lack of trust
in the security on mobile devices, and the remaining two due
to factors outside of hoteliers’ control.
In a study conducted by GuestCentric with over 300 hotels, a
whopping 60% of smartphone bookings were for same night or
next night stay. (TravelDailyNews, January 2013)
Hotels in German Cities outperform in a tough European
trading environment
European Cities Marketing released findings from its latest
“European Destinations Observatory” produced by MKG
Hospitality which indicate a strong performance from key
German city hotels in 2012 compared to other key European
cities.
The results in selected German city RevPAR growth in 2012
compared to 2011 are highlighted in the following table:
Munich
+11 %
Nuremberg
+10.5
%
Leipzig
+8.8 %
Berlin
+7.7 %
Stuttgart
+7.4%
Dusseldorf +5.2 %
Hamburg
+2.3 %
Hanover
+1.4 %
These results can be compared to a very mixed performance in
the rest of Europe. Generally, the picture remains more
difficult in the south. In Italy the RevPARs of all the
sampled cities (Rome, Bologne, Florence, Milan, Venice)
registered negative results. Spanish cities such as Madrid,
Seville and Zaragoza are also experiencing loses in year to
year performance. However, all is not negative on the Spanish
market since Northern cities are still resisting well, with
Bilbao up by 4.2% and Barcelona by 3.8%.
Garry White, CEO of European Cities Marketing said
“the picture changed quite dramatically in the last half of
2012. August was generally a good month across European cities
and there was an after-glow from a series of international
sports (including the London Olympics) big professional fairs
and events. Now we are in a much tougher trading environment.
Daily rates however appear to be steady in the global gateways
of Paris, London and Rome and Copenhagen, Helsinki and Turin.”
www.europeancitiesmarketing.com
*ECM (European Cities Marketing) improves the competitiveness
and performance of leading cities of Europe by providing a
platform for convention, leisure and city marketing
professionals to exchange knowledge, best practice and widen
their network to build new business. European Cities Marketing
is promoting and linking the interests of more than 120
members from more than 100 major cities in 32 countries.
CHANG
Chun-Fu,
Director
General of the Bureau of
Foreign Trade, Introduces
Taiwan’s MICE Industry Pilot
Program
Integration of Resources and Innovation
Pilot Taiwan MICE
Foreword
“The Taiwan MICE Advancement Program”, which was implemented
by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), ended productively in
2012. “Taiwan’s MICE Industry Pilot Program” will take over
from this year and last for 4 years. Chang Chun-Fu, Director
General of the BOFT, shares his perspective on Taiwan MICE and
on making Taiwan an international MICE powerhouse.
Q: The four-year Taiwan MICE Advancement Program initiated by
the BOFT in 2009 has come to an end. What were the major
achievements?
A: The Taiwan MICE Advancement Program was comprised of four
subsidiary projects, the Taiwan MICE Overall Implementation
Project, Taiwan MICE International Marketing and Promotion
Project, Taiwan MICE Training and Certification Project, and
Taiwan MICE International Meetings Hosting Project. Under the
Taiwan MICE International Meetings Hosting Project, we
assisted and supported bids for 244 international conferences
and 110 corporate meetings. Encouragingly, our efforts helped
bring 230 international conferences and corporate meetings to
Taiwan, with about 120 thousand foreign participants in total
creating approximately 10.5 billion NT dollars of economic
benefits. In 2010, we released a MEET TAIWAN card which is
Asia’s first discount card exclusively for business people.
Multiple services and discounts are available including
dining,
shopping,
accommodation,
transportation,
entertainment, logistics, and communication. The release of
the MEET TAIWAN card has successfully integrated related
industries and increased business opportunities. Up to now, a
total of 102,130 MEET TAIWAN cards have been issued.
Q: What creative practices
international promotion?
has
the
BOFT
utilized
for
A: One of our biggest successes is a TAIWAN MICE smart phone
app developed to integrate industry needs with modern
technology.
Highly praised and appreciated by several
international conference organizers, the TAIWAN MICE app was
awarded the 2012 Best Marketing Award by the International
Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). With 15,000 Euros
worth of marketing opportunity granted by ICCA for global
promotion, the strength of Taiwan MICE will be further
endorsed worldwide.
Over the past four years, the BOFT
invited members of the international media to visit Taiwan
seven times. 39 reporters from 30 media agencies throughout
Europe, Asia, America, and Australia visited and gave in-depth
reports about Taiwan.
The reports have been read by 1.71
million MICE professionals around the world and benefits
derived from the media exposure amounted to 10.9 million NT
dollars.
Q: Human resources are fundamental to service businesses.
What has been achieved with nurturing TAIWAN MICE
professionals through the Taiwan MICE Advancement Program?
A: The mission of the Taiwan MICE Training and Certification
Project was well accomplished; over 130 MICE-related training
courses were held, with more than 4,700 people attending. The
MICE expertise certification system has been established and
certification examinations for mid- and advanced-level talent
have been periodically held. So far more than 6,000 people
passed the mid level talent certification and around 20 have
received the advanced level certificate. A growing number of
highly qualified, local talent are joining the Taiwan MICE
business.
To develop Taiwan MICE professionals for the international
market, the BOFT worked with both the International
Association of Exhibitions & Events and Meeting Professionals
International to bring two international certification
standards to Taiwan, the Certified in Exhibition Management
(CEM) and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).
To date,
there are 18 local MICE professionals who have received a CEM
and 13 who have a CMP.
Q: The BOFT’s Taiwan’s MICE Industry Pilot Program is
currently underway and will last until 2016. What are your
expectations for this project?
A: The Taiwan MICE Industry Pilot Program (MEET TAIWAN) aims
to make Taiwan well-known for its high-quality service MICE
industry.
Merged into one project to achieve the biggest
effect, three subsidiary projects are the Taiwan MICE Overall
Implementation Project, Taiwan MICE International Marketing
and Promotion Project, and Taiwan MICE International Meetings
Hosting Project. By joining the three projects, we intend to
integrate and coordinate MICE resources both from central and
local government to assist regional MICE industry
development. We also plan a cloud portal MICE service website
and to build a “Carbon Footprint” database to meet global
trends involving technology and going green. The MEET TAIWAN
program is implemented by the Taiwan External Trade
Development Council (TAITRA). With their years of expertise
in establishing MICE businesses and assisting local MICE
companies to deliver high-quality services, we have full
confidence in bringing more international conferences and
incentive travel groups to Taiwan. Our goal is to surpass our
current ICCA ranking for conference destinations, as well as
our UFI ranking for exhibitions in Asia.
Q: As China is growing rapidly, what is the role of Taiwan in
Asia and the global MICE market? What actions are we taking
in our relationship with China while we are both cooperating
and competing with one another? How can we derive the biggest
benefits out of this relationship?
A: The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) early
harvest list has already included MICE service business under
service industries. Regarding conferences and meetings, PCOs
from China are allowed to set up offices in Taiwan to provide
related services. Associations and enterprises from China are
encouraged to hold conferences and meetings in Taiwan. As for
exhibitions, we are open to qualified corporate entities from
China to cooperate with Taiwan corporate entities to hold
exhibitions here in Taiwan. More actions are on the way.
With the effects of the ECFA expanding over time, we believe
that trade and economic cooperation across the Strait will
expand and the size of Taiwan’s MICE industry will increase.
As a result, there will be enhanced competitiveness of
Taiwan’s MICE business and an open China market will benefit
Taiwan MICE as it expands into the Chinese market.
China’s MICE industry has been growing rapidly over the years,
and their “twelve five-year plan”, implemented in 2011, also
includes the MICE industry. After the signing of the ECFA,
Taiwan also intends to expand its market to Southeast Asia,
enlarging the scale and internationalization of businesses and
strengthening MICE talent to set Taiwan as a platform for MICE
cooperation and exchange in the Asian region. We also aim to
enhance the development of Taiwan MICE and related industries;
highlight the characteristics of the Taiwan MICE industry and
upgrade service quality to create a unique MEET TAIWAN brand.
Silversea
offre
des
croisières de luxe au départ
d’Anvers et de Zeebruges
Silversea mettra le « Silver Galapagos » en service en 2013
31 janvier 2013 – L’entreprise monégasque de croisières de
luxe Silversea a programmé cette année, en collaboration
Silversea Sales Benelux, une paire de croisières de luxe pour
lesquelles les ports de Zeebruges et Anvers ont été retenus.
De plus, Silversea, marque de croisières cinq étoiles, mettra
en service, dans la deuxième partie de cette année 2013, un
deuxième navire d’expédition.
Rony H. Broun, Sales Benelux & Middle East de Silversea, est
particulièrement de cette visite annoncée aux deux ports
belges : Nos clients du Benelux pourront embarquer et
débarquer dans les ports de Zeebruges et Anvers pour un voyage
sur l’un des plus luxueux navires de croisières qui parcourent
les océans. Le Silver Cloud, tout juste entièrement rénové,
accostera à Anvers le 12 juin. Il partira de là pour un voyage
de 7 jours vers l’Europe du Nord. Ses 296 passagers pourront
ainsi visiter successivement Amsterdam, Hambourg, Warnemunde,
Helsinborg et Copenhague. Et, à bord, chacun pleinement
profiter du haut standard de luxe à bord. » Il ajoute : « Il y
a déjà une disponibilité dans une Veranda Suite à partir de
2.609 euros par personne. »
Ceux qui n’ont pas encore visité les capitales de la Baltique
pourront quant à eux prendre part à une croisière à bord
du Silver Whisper, du 2 au 11 septembre. Les passagers
jouiront d’une fantastique croisière de 10 jours de Stockholm
à Zeebruges. En route, ils feront escale à Tallinn, SaintPetersbourg, Helsinki, Warnemunde et Amsterdam. Cette
croisière est proposée dans une Vista Suite à partir de 4.165
euros par personne.
Mini-croisières
Silversea organise en outre, pour la première fois, une série
de mini-croisières de trois à cinq jours. « C’est l’idéal pour
souffler un peu tout en profitant d’un produit de croisière
sans égal. Même le butler qui veille au service personnalisé
est inclus », précise Rony Broun. Ces mini-croisières se
dérouleront en avril, mai et juin. Les prix démarrent à 1.175
euros par personne pour une croisière de trois nuits.
Pour plus d’information, voir www.silversea-experience.be
Deuxième navire d’expédition
Le navire d’expédition Silver Explorer combine, depuis 2008,
le luxe avec des routes aussi exotiques qu’intéressantes, qui
garantissent une totale nouvelle expérience de la croisière.
Fin 2013, Silversea mettra en service un deuxième navire
d’expédition, le Silver Galapagos. La coque de celui-ci sera
peinte exactement comme celle de son bateau frère, en un
remarquable bleu foncé. Ce nouveau bateau pourra accueillir
jusqu’à 100 passagers.
Le Silver Galapagos sera le seul navire de luxe d’expédition
qui pourra effectuer des voyages d’éco-tourisme de groupe et
respectueux de l’environnement vers les îles Galapagos. Cet
archipel est en effet classé Patrimoine mondial par l’Unesco.
A partir de septembre 2013, des croisières de 7 jours avec
le Silver Galapagos seront organisées toute l’année. Elles
suivront deux routes :
–
la route de l’Ouest : du samedi au samedi, un circuit
à partir de l’île Baltra, les long des îles ouest, sud et est,
dont Santiago, Bartolomé, Isabela, Fernandina, Floreana, San
Cristobal et Santa Cruz ;
–
la route Nord-Centre : du samedi au samedi, un circuit
au départ de l’île Baltra, le long des îles nord, centre et
sud que sont Santa Cruz, Genovesa, Seymour Norte, San
Cristobal, Espanola et Plazas Sur.
Silversea opère des navires dans le segment des croisières de
très haut luxe. L’entreprise, dont le siège est établi à
Monaco, a été créée au début des années 90 par la famille
romaine Lefebvre, les anciens propriétaires de Sitmar Cruises.
La flotte est constituée de petits bateaux de croisière
– Silver Cloud, Silver Wind, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper et
Silver Spirit – qui peuvent facilement accoster dans de beaux
et petits ports. Ces navires d’élite, qui peuvent embarquer de
296 à 540 passagers, ont été spécialement développés pour
offrir plus de place à moins de passagers, en combinaison avec
un service personnalisé de la plus haute qualité. Toutes les
boisons, y compris les vins, le champagne et les alcools
forts, sont incluses dans le prix.
Cette flotte compte en outre deux navires d’expédition :
le Silver Explorer et le Silver Galapagos (à partir de fin
2013). Silversea propose des voyages de luxe vers les sept
continents via la Mer Méditerranée, les Caraibes, les pôles
Nord et Sud et plus de 450 destinations fascinantes.
Silversea a déjà été récompensée par une série d’awards
internationaux. Les lecteurs des très réputées revues Condé
Nast Traveler et Travel & Leisure ont élu la compagnie
respectivement neuf et sept fois au titre de « World’s Best ».
En 2011, le Luxury Travel Advisor a couronné Silversea du
« Best Cruise Line for Luxury Small Ships ».
www.silversea.com
Information et réservations :
Tél. : +32 (0)3 313 60 79
Email : [email protected]
The world’s longest Viking
ship wreck to be exhibited in
Denmark
The longest Viking longship in the world is part of the Danish
National Museum’s major special exhibition, VIKING, which will
be exhibited at the National Museum in Copenhagen between 22
June and 17 November 2013.
The wreck of the longest Viking longship in the world is the
main attraction at the National Museum’s major international
special exhibition, VIKING. It will be on show in Prinsens
Palæ I Copenhagen from 22 June until 17 November 2013. It
centres round the wreck of a 37 metre long warship found in
Roskilde. The ship, which will be exhibited for the very first
time, was a warship that could carry 100 Viking warriors and
was probably part of a royal fleet. VIKING is the National
Museum’s largest special exhibition on Vikings for twenty
years. The exhibition will touch upon themes such as war and
expansion, power and aristocracy, rituals and beliefs as well
as cultural contacts and trade. These are the central
narratives in the exhibition, which will show objects from
museums in twelve European countries.
Filed down teeth
The exhibition will include a number of unique and new finds,
which have never been exhibited before as well as objects that
have never before been included in a cross-cultural
exhibition. It will include a large new hoard of gold and
silver from Yorkshire in England and hoards found in Russia
and Norway. The Vikings’ beliefs and change in beliefs will be
communicated through a series of exceptional idols and there
will be room for a reliquary cross discovered a few months
ago. The essence of the Vikings will be shown by their way of
depicting themselves and the exhibition will be able to
display some of the world famous chess pieces from Lewis in
Scotland, which are shaped as Viking warriors. Some of these
depict helmeted warriors who are biting
The exhibition will illustrate the fierce
warriors with some filed down human teeth
large number of weapons including one of
has been discovered.
into their shields.
nature of the Viking
from a warrior and a
the few helmets that
The king’s ship
The various themes of the exhibition will be tied together by
the ship at the centre, which reflects the fact that ships and
seamanship provided the basis for the success of the Vikings.
Their ships brought the Vikings out into a globalised world
and sailing was an important means of communication that bound
the Vikings’ society together. Thanks to their seaworthy
vessels they were able to travel across four continents,
colonise Iceland and Greenland and later reach America. The
ships allowed the Vikings to bring home traded goods from the
Middle East, the Byzantine Empire and from as far away as
China. Their long warships enabled the Vikings to transport
invading armies so large that Danish kings were able to
conquer England and create a North Sea empire. The ship was
also a status symbol that demonstrated the might of the
aristocracy. With the exhibition the National Museum would
like to present a modern and varied picture of the globalised
Vikings.
During the Viking period Scandinavia was not
isolated from the rest of the world. The Vikings knew that
there was an outside world and they were drawn by the
knowledge and culture from the world that they sought with
both peaceful and warlike means.
VIKING is organised by the National Museum of Denmark, the
British Museum in London and Museum für Vor und Frühgeschichte
– Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, which will be displaying the
exhibition during 2014 and 2015. The exhibition is being
supported in Copenhagen by A. P. Møller og Hustru Chastine McKinney Møllers Fond til almene Formaal (the Møller
Foundation), Augustinus Fonden (the Augustinus Foundation) and
Bikubenfonden (the Bikuben foundation).
Passenger Demand Grew as Air
Cargo Declined in 2012
Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA)
announced full-year traffic data for 2012 showing a 5.3% yearon-year increase in passenger demand and a 1.5% fall for
cargo.
The 5.3% increase in passenger demand was slightly down on
2011 growth of 5.9% but above the 5% twenty-year average. Load
factors for the year were near record levels at 79.1%. Demand
in international markets expanded at a faster rate (6.0%) than
domestic travel (4.0%). In both cases emerging markets were
the main drivers of growth.
The 1.5% fall in demand for air cargo compared to 2011 marked
the second consecutive year of decline, following a 0.6%
contraction in 2011. The freight load factor for the year was
45.2%.
“Passenger demand grew strongly in 2012 despite the economic
bad news that dominated much of the last twelve months. This
demonstrates just how integral global air travel is for
today’s connected world. At the same time, near-record load
factors illustrate the extreme care with which airlines manage
capacity. Growth and high aircraft utilization combined to
help airlines deliver an estimated $6.7 billion profit in 2012
despite high fuel prices. But with a net profit margin of just
1.0% the industry is only just keeping its head above water,”
said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
“In contrast to the growth in passenger markets the air cargo
market contracted by 1.5%. The industry suffered a one-two
punch. World trade declined sharply. And the goods that were
traded shifted towards bulk commodities more suited for sea
shipping. The outstanding bright spot was the development of
trade between Asia and Africa which supported strong growth
for airlines based in the Middle East (14.7%) and Africa
(7.1%),” said Tyler.
December 2012 vs.
December 2011
RPK
Growth
ASK
Growth
PLF
FTK
AFTK
Growth Growth
International
5.0%
2.8%
77.9 -0.5%
-2.0%
Domestic
2.9%
2.7%
77.9
-1.5%
Total Market
4.2%
2.7%
77.9 -0.3%
RPK
ASK
2012 vs. 2011
International
Growth
Growth
PLF
1.0%
FTK
-1.9%
AFTK
Growth Growth
6.0%
4.0%
78.9 -1.9%
Domestic
4.0%
3.8%
79.5
Total Market
5.3%
3.9%
79.1 -1.5%
1.4%
0.6%
-1.2%
0.2%
International Passenger Demand
International passenger demand grew by 6.0% in 2012. The
strongest growth came from emerging markets, particularly the
Middle East (15.4%), Latin America (8.4%) and Africa (7.5%).
Capacity grew more slowly than demand (4.0%) supporting a near
record level international load factor of 78.9%.
Asia-Pacific carriers saw passenger growth of 5.2% in
2012 which was stronger than the 4.0% growth in 2011,
though the 2011 figures were affected by the Japanese
tsunami. The 2012 performance was in line with the
global average and contributed about a fifth of the
total industry growth. After a slow start, the fourth
quarter was boosted by a revival in the Chinese economy
and strengthening momentum in Asian exports and imports.
Capacity expansion of just 3.0% for the year kept the
load factor at a healthy average of 77.5%.
European airlines’ passenger traffic expanded 5.3% in
2012, sharply down on the 9.5% growth of 2011. Growth
was generated by the long-haul performance of Eurozone
airlines (within-EU travel stagnated due to slow
economic growth). Additionally, around a quarter of the
growth in European airline international traffic came
from airlines outside of the Eurozone (Turkey being a
major contributor). Capacity increased by 3.1%, pushing
the full-year average load factor to 80.5%. Combined
with other benefits of industry consolidation, the
European industry broke even on the year—a much stronger
financial performance than would be expected under such
harsh economic conditions.
North American carriers reported the slowest
international passenger growth of any region at 1.3%
(down from 4.1% in 2011). Restructuring, consolidation,
and tight capacity management (down 0.3% for the year)
delivered the highest load factor (82.0%), contributing
to an estimated $2.4 billion profit.
Middle East airlines contributed almost a third of the
total expansion in international passenger markets with
15.4% growth (ahead of the 8.9% growth recorded in 2011
that was impacted by the Arab Spring). This was achieved
with a capacity expansion of 12.5% while improving the
load factor to 77.4%. The region’s carriers increased
the connectivity of their expanding hubs with
significant increases in both network (destinations) and
frequency. Despite the expansion, the improved load
factor indicates that the growth is sustainable and that
airlines in the region have been successful in
attracting new passengers.
Latin American carriers recorded 8.4% demand growth in
2012. This was the second-strongest performance (after
the Middle East) and was supported by rising incomes and
falling unemployment in the region (particularly
Brazil). Capacity expanded more slowly than demand
(7.5%) and the load factor stood at 77.9% for the year.
African airlines had a solid year of growth, up 7.5%, as
the continent’s economic expansion drove traffic demand.
Capacity expansion of 7.1% was just below traffic
growth. This improved the load factor to 67.1%, but it
was still the weakest of all regions.
Domestic Passenger Demand
Domestic air travel grew by 4.0% in 2012. China (9.5%) and
Brazil (8.6%) were the strongest performers. India was the
weakest with a 2.1% contraction on 2011 levels. Total capacity
growth (3.8%) was in line with demand (4.0%) and the domestic
load factor stood at 79.5%.
US traffic expanded by 0.8% in 2012 (down from 1.5% in
2011), and capacity grew by just half of that at 0.4%.
This supported an 83.4% load factor—the strongest among
the major markets. The slowdown reflects the maturity
and subdued economic growth of the US market which
accounts for about half of all domestic travel.
China and Brazil showed the strongest demand growth in
2012, of 9.5% and 8.6% respectively. They both increased
capacity, but Chinese capacity growth of 11.3%
outstripped demand, whereas Brazil’s 4.8% was around
half the traffic increase. Nevertheless, at 80.9%,
Chinese load factor remained strong, and considerably
higher than Brazil’s 71.8%.
Japan’s domestic market saw demand grow by 3.6% in 2012
while capacity expanded by 2.3%. Japanese domestic
demand continues to suffer from a weak economy that
stalled the recovery from the 2011 earthquake and
tsunami. Japan’s domestic market remains 7% smaller than
pre-tsunami levels with the weakest load factor (62.0%)
among the major domestic markets.
Indian domestic travel shrank by 2.1% on 2011 levels.
Weak economic growth was exacerbated by increasing
operational costs, insufficient infrastructure, high
taxes and onerous regulation. Capacity growth fell to
0.3% (from 16.2% in 2011) and the average load factor
for the year was 72.9%.
Air Cargo (Domestic and International)
Air freight markets declined for a second straight year,
falling a further 1.5% in 2012 after a 0.6% decline in 2011.
Air cargo has come under pressure from a slowdown in world
trade growth, and shifts in the freight commodity mix.
Expanding emerging economies have driven demand for bulk items
carried by sea, while economic weakness in the West dampened
demand for high-value consumer goods transported by air.
Freight capacity grew just 0.2% over the year, and the freight
load factor was 45.2%.
Asia-Pacific airlines (the largest players in the air
cargo market) reported a 5.5% decline in demand and cut
capacity by 2.4%. As the world’s major manufacturing
center, the region suffered from the slowdown in demand
from Western markets. The freight load factor, although
remaining the highest of all regions at 56.1%, fell more
sharply than anywhere else, hurting cargo profitability.
European and North American carriers also saw falls in
freight demand, of 2.9% and 0.5% respectively. European
carriers increased its capacity by 0.3% which led to the
load factor falling to 47.2%. North American carriers
managed to reduce capacity by 2.0%, ahead of the fall in
demand, but it still left the region’s freight load
factor at 35.0%, the second weakest of any region.
Latin American airlines saw freight demand decline by
1.2%, but capacity grew 4.9% over the year, leaving the
load factor to fall to 38.3%.
African and Middle Eastern carriers were beneficiaries
of new trade lanes and developing trade links between
the two regions. Freight demand grew 7.1% and 14.7%
respectively, both improvements on 2011 when the Middle
East expanded 8.2% and Africa declined by 2.1%. The
Middle East had the fastest capacity expansion of any
freight region (11.4%) but the load factor still
improved to 44.8%. Africa’s freight capacity grew 9.2%,
outstripping demand. The freight load factor fell to
just 24.7%, the lowest of any region by a significant
margin.
The Bottom Line:
“We are entering 2013 with some guarded optimism. Business
confidence is up. The Eurozone situation is more stable than
it was a year-ago and the US avoided the fiscal cliff.
Significant headwinds remain. There is no end in sight for
high fuel prices and GDP growth is projected at just 2.3%. But
improved business confidence should help cargo markets to
recover the lost ground from 2012. And the momentum built-up
at the year-end should see the passenger business expand close
to the 5% historical growth trend. 2013 will not be a banner
year for profitability, but we should see some improvement on
2012,” said Tyler.
In its December outlook for 2013, IATA projected that 2013
would see 4.5% growth in passenger markets and 1.4% growth for
cargo demand. That will contribute to an improvement in
profitability from $6.7 billion (1.0% net profit margin) in
2012 to $8.4 billion (1.3% net profit margin) in 2013.
View full December traffic results (pdf)
Sheraton Hotels Poised for
Record-Breaking Growth over
the Next 12 Months
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts plans to open 30 hotels over the next 12 months
including the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort in China. (Photo: Business
Wire)
Global Hotel Icon will Open 30 Hotels over the next year,
Propelled by Phenomenal Growth in Asia Pacific
Openings Include the Official Debut of Sheraton Huzhou Hot
Spring Resort – An Architectural Marvel Designed by China’s
Leading-Edge Architect Ma Yansong
STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 30, 2013– Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced
that its global powerhouse Sheraton plans to open 30 hotels
over the next 12 months. Half of the new Sheraton hotels will
open in China, lengthening Starwood’s lead as the largest
upper-upscale global hotel operator in Asia Pacific. Sheraton
is also picking up momentum in several other emerging markets
including Latin America, the Middle East and Turkey.
“Sheraton is anticipating record-breaking growth, putting us
on track to open our 500th hotel in 2015. The majority of our
new hotel development is taking place in the world’s fastgrowing economies, while in North America, Sheraton remains
one of the most sought-after brands for conversion
opportunities,” said Hoyt Harper, Global Brand Leader
for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “Our portfolio is stronger than
ever following our highly successful brand-wide revitalization
and multi-billion dollar investment to enhance the Sheraton
brand over the past several years.”
One of Every Two New Sheratons will Open in China
Sheraton is slated to open 15 new hotels across China over the
next 12 months, moving it closer to its target of 80
properties in this vast market by the end of 2015. One of the
more notable openings this year is Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring
Resort, which boasts an innovative ring-shaped structure
designed by leading-edge architect Ma Yansong.
“The Sheraton growth trajectory in China has been nothing
short of remarkable. For the fourth year in a row, Sheraton
will open approximately half of its new hotels in China and
demand continues to grow especially in second and third tier
cities,” said Harper. “We are also proud to add Sheraton
Huzhou Hot Spring Resort to our growing portfolio of
architecturally unique hotels in Asia Pacific.”
Global Powerhouse Expands Footprint in Diverse Emerging
Markets
In addition to the flurry of new hotel openings in China,
Sheraton is also growing its portfolio in other fast-growing
markets within Asia Pacific. New openings this year will
include Sheraton New Caledonia Bourail Resort and Spa in New
Caledonia and Sheraton Chandigarh Hotel in India.
“Sheraton is renowned as a global hospitality icon and the
brand’s early entry into markets around the world is
continuing to pave the way for future growth not only for
Sheraton, but also for Starwood’s other eight sought-after
brands,” said Simon Turner, President of Global
Development for Starwood. “The quality of the Sheraton hotel
portfolio and pipeline is the strongest it has ever been and
we look forward to ongoing expansion in both emerging and
developed markets.”
The brand’s portfolio in Africa and the Middle East will
expand over the next 12 months with the addition of four new
hotels including the fourth Sheraton in Saudi Arabia- Sheraton
Medina Hotel, Sheraton Dubai Mall of Emirates and the first
in Tajikistan – Sheraton Dushanbe Hotel. Sheraton will also
open two new hotels in Turkey, Europe’s fastest-growing
market, in the cities of Adana and Bursa.
Robust Growth in the Americas
One of the most promising growth markets for Sheraton is Latin
America, which boasts several of the world’s fastest growing
economies. This year’s openings will include Sheraton Tucuman
Hotel – the brand’s ninth hotel in Argentina. Sheraton is also
increasing its footprint in Brazil as the country ramps up
infrastructure development ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup
and 2016 Summer Olympics. Following the opening of Sheraton
Vitória in 2012, the brand will open Sheraton da Bahia
Hotel in Salvador this year and Sheraton Reserva do Paiva
Hotel & Convention Center, which is located 30 minutes
from Recife, in early 2014.
Sheraton continues to capture conversion opportunities in
cities across North America. Over the next 12 months, Sheraton
will re-brand hotels in a number of key cities throughout the
U.S.
About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts
Sheraton helps guests make connections at more than 400 hotels
in nearly 70 countries around the world and recently completed
a $6 billion global revitalization and is now in the midst of
a $6 billion global expansion over the next three years.
Sheraton is owned by and is the largest and most global brand
of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., one of the
leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,134
properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at
its owned and managed properties.
Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor
of hotels, resorts and residences with the following
internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury
Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four
Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts
one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood
Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem
points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no
blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation
Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation
experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access
to Starwood brands. For more information, please
visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forwardlooking statements are not guarantees of future performance
and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may
cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are
made. Further results, performance and achievements may be
affected by general economic conditions, including the
duration and severity of any global or regional economic
downturns, the availability of financing alternatives at
acceptable terms, the impact of war and terrorist activity,
business and financing conditions, foreign exchange
fluctuations, cyclicality of the real estate (including
residential) and the hotel and vacation ownership businesses,
operating risks associated with the hotel, vacation ownership
and residential businesses. These risks and uncertainties are
presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon
reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our
expectations will be attained or that results will not
materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly
update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Brussels Airlines launches
direct
flights
between
Brussels and Washington
Starting 18 June Brussels Airlines will operate direct flights
between Brussels Airport and Washington Dulles. The American
capital will be served 5 times per week. Thanks to the flight
schedule passengers will be able to connect smoothly to many
other US Destinations with Star Alliance partner UNITED.
After the successful launch of a daily service to New York
last year, Brussels Airlines launches a second trans-Atlantic
destination, Washington Dulles International Airport. There is
a big market demand for flights between the European and the
US capital, with Washington being the third most important
intercontinental destination in the Belgian market, in terms
of passenger numbers.
“We are extremely happy to be expanding Brussels Airlines’
intercontinental network and to be able to further reinforce
our presence at the American East Coast”, says Brussels
Airlines CEO Bernard Gustin. “With this new flight we’re not
only aiming at passengers flying to Washington or Brussels,
but we are connecting the entire Brussels Airlines network
with Washington and with the extended US network of our
partner UNITED. Thanks to our own flights to Washington and
New York and thanks to our cooperation with Star Alliance
partners UNITED and Lufthansa we will offer more than ever the
best travel possibilities to the United States.”
While Washington is mostly known for the White House, Capitol
Hill and the Pentagon, the city and the region have much more
to offer for tourists, like the world renowned Smithsonian
Museums, the National Mall, Arlington, the botanical gardens
and the many libraries. Washington is also an important
university city.
Brussels Airlines will operate 5 flights per week to
Washington with Airbus A330 aircraft. Passengers can expect
the new Brussels Airlines product with full flat beds in
Business Class, ergonomic seats in Economy Class and state of
the art in-flight entertainment in both classes. These new
cabins were introduced only a few months ago and are already
being quoted by the industry as one of the best trans-Atlantic
travel products. Passengers flying to and from Washington will
be able to earn and spend Miles & More miles.
Flight schedule (in local times)
Flight n
Departure
Arrival
SN515
Days
Brussels
17:30
Washington
SN516
Brussels
20:15
Washington
12:10
2/4/5/6/7
22:35
2/4/5/6/7
(flight time: 8 hours and 45 minutes)
With a late afternoon departure from Brussels Airport,
passengers will arrive in Washington in the early evening.
Thanks to the cooperation with partner airline UNITED they can
smoothly connect to 44 destinations in the United States and
Canada, including Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Denver and Orlando. The Brussels-Washington flight
also connects smoothly with Brussels Airlines’ European
flights, including important cities like Berlin, Copenhagen,
Madrid, Milan, Hamburg, Nice and Toulouse. The Washington
flight times also allow connections with the African network
to Abidjan, Cotonou, Yaounde, Douala and Lomé, among others.
Departure flexibility
Thanks to the cooperation between Brussels Airlines and UNITED
Brussels will be connected to Washington 12 times per week
starting as from 18 June. Passengers can combine both flights,
which offers more departure flexibility and more connection
possibilities.
To make this new trans-Atlantic service possible, Brussels
Airlines will add an additional (the 8th) Airbus A330 to its
long haul fleet.
The third Adagio in Germany
And there were three! Adagio Aparthotels are pushing ahead
with their European expansion. After Berlin and Munich, an
Adagio is opening in Cologne, Germany, this month.
The Aparthotels General Manager came up with an original idea
to celebrate this event – and put the Adagio Köln City in the
spotlight on 16 November last when it welcomed the 60
contenders for the Miss Intercontinental World title. The
building work notwithstanding, the radiant pageant Misses
attracted a variety of media, including respected national
newspaper Bild-Zeitung. And it lit up the city.
A guided tour of an Aparthotel inspired by Cologne culture
The Adagio Köln City’s 115 apartments harness this brand’s
main strengths, and include studio flats and apartments for up
to four people. They have all the amenities (kitchens, TVs,
air conditioning and free Wi-Fi), and are perfect for families
as much as business travelers.
The Adagio Köln City’s decoration, however, is all-new and
draws on the city’s culture and its iconic Eau de Cologne.
The tour starts in the lobby, where large papier-mâché statues
depict the vestiges from the Cologne Carnival, one of the
city’s emblematic highlights. The reception then features a
variety of noble materials arranged into a patchwork that
resembles the typical costumes you see at that Carnival.
The corridors and the apartments they lead to are brimming
with bright colors (yellow, violet and blue), and reminiscent
of the variety of scents that intertwine in Eau de Cologne
(bergamot, lemon, etc). Several of the geometric shapes on the
floor, walls and furniture mirror the Eau’s molecular
structure and add up to an original, fun tribute!
In downtown Cologne
Cologne is Germany’s fourth-largest city, and its historical
and cultural heritage is enviable: it counts 12 Roman
basilicas, a world-class 14th-century university and an opera
house, and is providing venues for an increasing number of
European and worldwide events.
That is why the Adagio Köln City is where it is all happening,
between Kölner Dom Cathedral and the main museums, and near
the central station.
And why this destination is such a great advantage for the
brand!
To find out more on Adagio
Book an apartment in the Aparthotel Adagio Cologne