Charlotte Gill – Page 15 – Business Destinations

From 2012-2016: five winners of the Green Capital Award

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain | 2012

16th-century palaces, belle époque architecture and bustling plazas give this 12th-century Basque city a unique character, but Vitoria-Gasteiz has often been eclipsed by the likes of nearby Bilbao. Winning the 2012 award put the city more firmly on the map as a must-visit destination for eco-enthusiasts, resulting in international tourism to the city growing by 12 percent.

It has been green in both senses of the word for several years: a green belt borders the city centre, while mountains and forests surround the outer city, forming a hub for biodiversity. But the European Green Capital 2012 title cemented its status, driving a number of projects in its promise to become “the green city of the future”. Its goal was to build a sustainable urban system and raise public awareness of several significant green issues – this was ultimately achieved through its ‘green factories’ project, in which institutions helping to make the eco-vision a reality opened their doors to more than 3,000 members of the public. A ‘green weekends’ initiative was meanwhile put in place to encourage sustainable tourism, and at the heart of this plan was the mission to become “a city that shares”. Through various forums, including the National Environmental Congress – in which 400 people from various cities gathered to discuss green initiatives in the event of an economic crisis – Vitoria-Gasteiz achieved just that.

Among the city’s biggest triumphs was a 20 percent reduction in street lighting energy consumption, as well as the creation of 10.5km of new cycle paths and the introduction of traffic calming measures on 45 of its streets. Vitoria-Gasteiz created a Business Board for Sustainability to promote green jobs, and encouraged 703 local businesses to sign up to its Green Deal programme, which was created with the aim of encouraging business collaborations on the path to a greener way of life.

Nantes, France | 2013

Set on the banks of the Loire, this historic French port city in the heart of Brittany has evolved into a diverse metropolis, where small remnants of medieval times meet a thriving arts and culture scene.

Over recent years Nantes has become a hub for eco-tourism; a reputation that became more established than ever with the commencement of a number of transformational projects in 2013 – shipyards were made into public spaces, derelict areas underwent substantial regeneration, and new, energy-efficient buildings sprung up across the city.

The city became the first in France to reintroduce electric tramways, and it made other significant steps towards promoting greener transport, including creating new cycle tracks and bus networks, which together saw CO2 emissions substantially reduced. Nantes also partnered with the Green Passport project, promoting sustainable hotels, restaurants and other attractions in order to drive responsible tourism. Additionally, the city also focused on biodiversity, promoting green spaces and reducing the use of pesticides.

Copenhagen, Denmark | 2014

Brightly coloured buildings, beautiful canals and quaint cobbled streets put Copenhagen high on the list of Scandinavia’s most impressive cities. The Danish capital has undergone something of a transformation over the past decade as design, fashion and food have come to take on an increasing prominence.

As one of Europe’s cleanest and greenest cities, Copenhagen embodies the type of eco-friendliness that defines the mentality of Denmark – the first country in the world to have pledged to become fossil fuel-free by 2050 as part of its State of Green initiative. Copenhagen’s title as the European Green Capital 2014 has further strengthened that reputation, helping the city to create a more cooperative green community by establishing over 90 partnerships between large companies, universities and NGOs as part of its Sharing Copenhagen initiative.

A key focus within that initiative was the idea of co-creation – developing something that will generate several benefits. The city cleaned out the water in the harbour, which helped marine life to thrive while also driving business growth and tourism, and improved energy efficiency in the city, which both aided the environment and enabled local people to cut their heating costs. New cycle paths were also created, which reduced greenhouse gas emissions and generated health benefits.

Additionally, Copenhagen hosted the year’s EcoCity World Summit – a conference which brought together key decision-makers, high-profile figures and influential businesses from across the world.

The city had already set itself ambitious goals to reach by 2025, including cutting energy consumption from streetlights by 50 percent, becoming CO2-neutral, and generating 30,000 new jobs through green investment. Copenhagen has also pledged that an impressive 75 percent of all journeys made in the city will either be by foot, bicycle or public transport – and, impressively, it already looks on track to achieve this. There are now five times as many bikes as cars in the city, and 55 percent of its population now cycle to work or school (a figure that is up from 36 percent in 2013). That’s setting an inspiring precedent for other green cities to follow.

Bristol, UK | 2015

Set among the undulating hills and quintessentially British countryside of southwest England, Bristol is a green city in every way: streets bursting with history, culture and modern creativity intertwine with corridors of nature and tucked-away hideouts, creating a perfect fusion between old and new.

It might therefore come as little surprise that Bristol is this year’s European Green Capital. The first city in the UK to have pumped significant investment into wind power – with two turbines now in place and set to power around 2,500 homes – it has a firmly established reputation for eco-friendliness dating back more than four decades. The city has attracted widespread attention for its cycle-friendly streets and has evolved into a hub for artists, entrepreneurs and ethical organisations alike.

Now a vast array of projects set for the year ahead – from quirky art installations to local food ventures – are stirring up excitement and naming the city as a rival for the UK’s biggest municipalities. “We want to put Bristol on the map so that when people are thinking of investing in Britain, they think of Bristol as the right place to come”, Andrew Garrad, Chairman of Bristol2015 (the body organising the year’s eco-projects) told Business Destinations.

£2m is being invested in community projects – from investigating the energy efficiency of houses to creating new green spaces and promoting cycling. Among Bristol’s goals is for 80 percent of journeys under five miles to be made by foot, bike or public transport.
Garrad believes the city’s ambitious targets will set a precedent for other cities to follow in the future: “We have an aim that by 2020 Bristol should be 100 percent renewable, and we should be leading the way as a sustainable city.”

Ljubljana, Slovenia | 2016

Beating off competition from Essen, Nijmegen, Oslo and Umea, Slovenia’s capital won the 2016 title as a result of its ambitious Vision 2025 sustainability strategy.

Ljubljana has undergone substantial change over the past decade, transforming itself into a cycle- and pedestrian-friendly city by limiting car traffic in its centre. This, in turn, freed up the banks of the Ljubljanica River, where locals and tourists gather in summer to bask in the clean, open air. Minimalist architecture and abundant natural green spaces characterise the city, which has already drawn up a number of sustainable action plans with ambitious goals set for 2020. How the city will further its green aims in 2016 under the European Green Capital title remains to be seen – but if the achievements of past winners are anything to go by, Ljubljana looks set to have a bright green future ahead.

Adventure tourism grows in popularity

Posted on February 19, 2015November 26, 2018 by Charlotte Gill

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, base-jumping off a cliff or trekking through the Sahara might not be at the top of everyone’s to-do list. But adventure travel – once limited primarily to gap year-takers travelling to Outer Mongolia in order to find themselves – is fast becoming mainstream.

This means that sun, sea and sand – the three ingredients that once promised families everything they’d ever asked for – are gradually being outpaced by hikes, wildlife treks, biking expeditions and cultural tours; the key trends seen in 2014, according to the Global Report on Adventure Tourism, published by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).

What was once the utterly unknown – a mystery to be pierced only by the most intrepid of travellers – is now accessible at the click of a button

The sector – defined by ATTA as involving a combination of physical activity, a connection with nature and cultural immersion – is growing faster than ever before. It expanded at a rate of 65 percent year-on-year between 2009 and 2013, reaching an estimated worth of $263bn in the US and Europe alone, the report found. According to ATTA president Shannon Stowell, 80 percent of tourism boards now consider adventure travel a standalone sector – compared to just 40 percent eight years ago.

While the most under-developed areas are still limited to ‘hardcore adventurers’, destinations such as Cuba, Colombia, Burma, Mexico, Brazil and Jordan – which are partially developed but not overly commercialised – are becoming increasingly popular. This rising segment and the subsequent change in target destination could pose a direct threat to more traditional, static beach holidays – a sector that’s been largely dominating the industry for several decades.

Hungry for experience
The growth of the experiential travel sector is being driven by a number of factors – not least, according to Stowell, a general consumer shift away from a desire for material possessions and towards an interest in actual experiences. “There have been numerous consumer studies that show people are more and more leaning towards experiences versus stuff, and I think that’s definitely driven more people towards travel”, he says.

An even bigger driver seems to be the fact that adventure travel is now considered safer and more affordable than it was just a few years ago. That’s something that Alistair Butchers, Innovations Manager at tour operator G Adventures, agrees with. “The world has become a lot less scary”, he says. And, interestingly, he puts this fact partly down to the influence of social media: “The social revolution has certainly contributed to this, as people can almost sample a destination before they set foot on a plane.”

Butchers seems to have a point. What was once the utterly unknown – a mystery to be pierced only by the most intrepid of travellers – is now accessible at the click of a button. A scan of Google Earth, a photo on Facebook or a quick scroll through a blog post can bring the most remote corners of the earth to the fingertips of a budding traveller on the hunt for their next big holiday.

It’s not just social media driving the change. From TV documentaries to Lonely Planet travel guides, trips previously considered adventurous, daring or dangerous are being firmly drilled into the mainstream market – the very demographic that was the driving force for package holidays for so many years.

“Package holidays have taken a big hit”, says Stowell. “Most thinking adults want to do their vacation their way, not the way 50 or 60 other people want to do it… They’ve done the package holidays, they’ve done the beach, they’ve done Disney and Vegas, and now they’re looking for something more interesting.”

Tour operators catering to that market and creating interesting, customised or unusual itineraries are therefore thriving, and new companies are cropping up rapidly to get in on the game, according to Niall Douglas, Managing Director at luxury booking service Full Circle Travel. Acquisition activity in the sector has also increased: in 2011, TUI and adventure tour operator Intrepid Travel joined up in a high profile venture to form Peak Travel, and in 2012 All Leisure Group bought the unprofitable, over-55s operator Page & Moy, enabling the company to expand its target demographic. This rise in activity is being driven by – and so, in turn, further fuelling – the population’s swelling appetite for adventure travel.

Saving time
Catering to that older market – one that goes beyond the 20-something backpacker hoard – is perhaps where the adventure travel industry is changing most, as recognised by Full Circle’s Douglas. “The biggest shift, I think, has been the over-50s, who are now happy to walk the Inca Trail, explore the South American Jungles or trek though Indochina”, he says. This is, again, a major segment of the package deal market – a market that the adventure sector seems to be capturing rather successfully, with this age bracket now one of the biggest drivers of adventure tourism, according to Stowell. “I’d say it’s primarily 40- to 65-year-olds who are paying for these activities”, he says. “They’re busy, they’ve got some income, and they want the best trip possible, so they’re hiring professionals.”

What this means is that shrunk-down, month-long versions of gap-year-type experiences (dubbed ‘micro-adventures’) are becoming more and more popular. “People are storing up their four- to five-week holiday and cramming it together”, Laurence Bresh, STA Travel’s Marketing Director, told TTG Digital. “Sometimes they’re doing in four to five weeks what they might have done in four to five months.”

G Adventures has noticed the same trend: bookings for its trips lasting 25 days or more increased 30 percent between early 2013 and 2014, according to the TTG report.

Baby-boom backpackers
Douglas believes that increased interest on behalf of a wider market is partly down to the simple fact that the original backpackers – the baby-boomers who first made travel a big deal – have now gotten older. “I think that we are now seeing the first true backpacking generation grown up with families and wanting to retrace steps or see destinations that they may have not seen first time round”, he says.

This is driving a boom in adventure travel among families, which is in turn accounting for some of the biggest growth in the sector. “Many parents have travelled with us when they were younger and now have families of their own. They want their kids to see the world with them”, says Butchers. In response, companies are releasing new products – G Adventures, for example, has launched a new line of family trips for this year, offering everything from tours of Thailand to snorkeling in Jordan.

The company is targeting beach breaks directly: on the Jordan page, the G Adventures site reads, “The worst part of resort vacations? Trying to find a spot to lay out your blanket on a crowded beach. Solution: visit Jordan instead! The beach never ends here.” The types of package holiday where poolside loungers might sit sipping piña coladas are, once again, being threatened by companies looking to capitalise on the consumer’s appetite for adventure.

And G Adventures isn’t alone: as if in a bid to protect itself from the drift away from more traditional vacations, US resort company Destination Hotel & Resorts recently plunged into the family adventure sphere with its Destination Family Escapes scheme; offering everything from a treasure hunt at a spa in Santa Fe to caving in the deserts of Oregon.

Striking a compromise
By combining a more traditional, hotel-based holiday with elements of adventure, Destination Hotel & Resorts is adapting to, and capitalising on, a new trend where traditional beach meets modern adventure. Stowell believes that this could define the future of mainstream travel, with the most successful companies likely to be those offering various options. He gives an example: “You’ve got a cruise ship that pulls into port – you can either go on a shopping trip or dive in a cenote.”

That might indeed be one answer for holiday companies looking for a response to the gradual shift away from sun, sea and sand. What other answers there are remains to be seen, but one thing’s for certain: consumers are getting ever hungrier for adventure, and the industry must adapt accordingly if its biggest players are to survive.

After AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines crashes, are planes safe to travel on?

Posted on February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

1,320

Fatalities occurred as a result of plane crashes in 2014

38m

The number of successful flights worldwide in 2011

1 in 2.7m

The global accident rate for Western-built planes in 2011

671m

Passengers travelled on a US airline in 2011

2.8bn

The number of passengers who flew safely in 2011

1 in 11m

The chance of perishing in a plane crash

Sources: www.howstuffworks.com, IATA, ABTS, NTSB and time.com

Fatal accidents by phase of flight (1959-2008)

12%

Taxi, loading, parked

12%

Take off

8%

Initial climb

10%

Climb

8%

Cruise

4%

Descent

10%

Initial approach

11%

Final approach

25%

Landing

The frequently repeated statistic that one is more likely to be killed by lightning than perish in a plane crash has been sadly challenged over the last 12 months. While statistically it still appears to be true (one chance in 11 million for plane crashes, one in 10 million for lightning), the three horrific tragedies that hit the passengers and crew on one AirAsia voyage and two Malaysia Airlines flights during 2014 have given many anxious travellers fresh cause for concern.

A tragic 12 months
The first disaster of the year struck on March 8 2014. Taking off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and destined for Beijing, Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing at approximately 01:21 MYT. Thought to be somewhere over the South China Sea when it disappeared, the aircraft was carrying 227 passengers from around the world, as well as 12 crew members.

Ultimately, sending a large metal tube up into the air is always going to be an extremely difficult task

A massive international search was undertaken in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, while the world’s media was gripped with the mystery of what had happened to the flight. Some speculated over whether it might have been a terrorist incident, while others debated whether it had been brought down by turbulence, or if a technical fault had struck the equipment. Still unfound, there has been no concrete resolution as to what actually happened to Flight MH370.

Just a few months later, the world was shocked by the tragedy that befell yet another Malaysia Airlines flight: this time the plane, flight MH17, was travelling between Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur. The Boeing 777-200ER aircraft was flying over the Ukraine-Russia border at the height of conflict between the two countries, when it was grounded near Donetsk Oblast. Many believe that the plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile used by some pro-Russian separatist forces in the region. The blame for this cannot, of course, be placed on the airline or makers of the jet – but some have still questioned whether the airplane should have been flying over such a troubled region in the first place. All 298 people on board the flight – 283 of whom were passengers – were killed.

Finally, at the tail end of the year, tragedy struck the industry once again: AirAsia flight QZ8501, which was travelling from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, lost contact with air traffic control early in the morning of December 28. Parts of the plane were discovered a day later by fishermen, and an effort to recover bodies and the black box recorder immediately began. Again, all 162 people on board were killed in the crash, but it is still unclear exactly what caused the plane to fall out of the sky.

Record numbers
While last year proved to be a particularly difficult year for Asian airlines, such tragedies are certainly not exclusive to the region. Air France flight 447 went missing in June 2009 on route from Paris to Rio. While the wreckage from the plane was discovered within a week of the crash, it took a further two years for divers to recover the black box recorder from the bed of the Atlantic Ocean.

Ultimately, sending a large metal tube up into the air is always going to be an extremely difficult task. However, for many decades the airline industry has managed to do so with relatively few catastrophes – indeed, fatal incidents in the industry had been at record lows before the AirAsia crash at the end of 2014. According to the Flight Safety Foundation, the number of jet crashes – including small passenger jets – was at an all-time low of 21 during 2014. However, the number of fatalities – 1,320 – is the biggest since 2005, because of the size of the three planes that crashed.

Flight facts

The first three minutes and the final eight minutes (take off and landing) are the most statistically dangerous parts of a flight

583 people died in the world’s deadliest plane crash in the Canary Islands in March 1977, when two jumbo jets collided

Flight recorders can survive impacts of 3,600 Gs and temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees C

The industry response has been less about safety, however, and more to do with advancing how planes are tracked. For many years, the airline industry has relied upon radar systems to track planes, as well as flight records, more commonly known as ‘black boxes’. These tend to reveal just what happened to planes when they crashed, as they electronically record the recent history of the flight through a number of different parameters several times a second. The information contained includes voice recordings from the cockpit, as well as data from recorders that are placed throughout the plane.

The length of time that the boxes are required to store information for has changed over the years, and also depends largely on the territory that the airline operates in. In 2008, the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) required black boxes to record for a minimum of two hours, which was up from the previous recommendation of just 30 minutes.

After flight MH370, however, the industry is beginning to realise the limitations of flight recorder technology. If a plane goes missing, it is extremely difficult to determine what happened to it, as most of the vital information is stored in the black box. Many have instead argued for live streaming of data, especially in light of recent technological advancements. There have also been calls for the batteries on the tracking beacons to be extended from the current 30 days to 90 days, as well as for the range of the locator to be increased – steps that, if done earlier, could have resulted in the black box from Air France flight 447 being recovered much earlier than a full two years after the crash occurred.

Technical issues
Things became starker after the AirAsia flight crashed on December 28: after the flight recorders from the airplane were recovered in mid-January, people in the industry began to talk of a need for changes. An anonymous representative from the UN’s International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) told Reuters that one option was for black boxes to be ejected before a crash, making them easier to recover. “The time has come that deployable recorders are going to get a serious look”, said the representative.

However, deployable recorders – invented by the Canadian government’s National Research Council in the 1960s – are seen as particularly expensive, and, as such, are only really used for military aircrafts. Some estimates put them at double the cost of a traditional flight record, which are already typically priced at around $15,000 each.

Despite this, there seems to be a growing consensus that some form of advanced tracking system be made mandatory in the industry. Tony Tyler, CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told reporters in early December that he would like to see real time flight tracking information provided, so that the frantic search seen after Malaysia Airline flight MH370, along with the subsequent mystery of its whereabouts, is not something that we see again. “Airlines are taking the tracking issue very seriously. Some already exceed the report’s suggested performance criteria. For others, closing the gap may take more than a 12-month timeline for every aircraft.”

However, he also mentioned that many airlines found that this would be too prohibitive in terms of timeframe and cost. By January, in the immediate aftermath of the AirAsia crash, it seemed that the industry was already beginning to realise that serious improvements needed to be made if they were to regain the trust of their passengers.

The ICAO revealed that it was proposing a new standard that would require all commercial aircrafts to communicate their position to the ground every 15 minutes. Spokesman Anthony Philbin told Reuters, “If [member states] agree to the standard, the safety conference will also be asked how quickly it expects to be implemented and if it would want ICAO to expedite that process.”

Qatar Airways announced in January that it would become the first airline in the world to test out an automatic tracking system, replacing the existing radar platform that is currently used across the industry. The company’s CEO, Akbar al Baker, said that the initial trial would allow the technology to be installed across his airline’s fleet: “Once this has been proven and all the bugs have been cleared, then Qatar Airways will, I hope, be the first airliner to introduce this in all our planes.”

Safety first
Airlines take safety extremely seriously, and it is widely considered by the industry to be the most important aspect of flying. The endless checks that planes go through before and after every flight ensure that travelling by plane is, in fact, far safer than many people think. However, it is the disturbing manner in which these high-profile disasters have occurred that has led to many people becoming increasingly wary of travelling by plane.

The statistics show that planes are, for the most part, safe. However, the industry must continually improve its systems so that crashes – particularly those of the nature that have been seen recently – are kept to a minimum. This means that airlines provide pilots with technology that gives them all the latest information about potential bad weather and danger zones. Critically, airlines must also invest in new tracking systems that will prevent the prolonged searches for fallen aircrafts, and hopefully allow any unlikely survivors to be reached far more quickly.

Avoiding these types of tragedies will always be at the top of any airline’s list of priorities. However, if the industry wants to regain the trust of its passengers, it now needs to be more vigilant than ever.

Messe München International hosts some of the world’s best trade fairs

Posted on February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

Messe München International is one of the world’s leading trade show companies. In Munich alone it organises around 40 trade shows for capital and consumer goods each year, hosting more than 30,000 exhibitors and around two million visitors annually.

Elsewhere, the company also coordinates and hosts trade shows in Asia, Russia, the Middle East and South Africa. With an assortment of affiliates across the globe and over 60 foreign representatives actively serving more than 90 countries, Messe München International has successfully developed a worldwide business network. The group takes a pioneering role with regards to sustainability, and was the first trade fair company in the world to be awarded energy efficiency certification from the technical inspection authorities TÜV SÜD.

As part of its commitment to providing a world-class platform for all of its customers, Messe München is now planning to build two brand new exposition halls

215

Events were hosted by Messe München in 2014

1.7m

Attendees across all events

€105m

The estimated cost of the group’s two new exposition halls

Rapid growth
The company’s achievements are wide-ranging and look set to continue. For the fifth year in a row, Messe München International has enjoyed a level of financial success that has stopped it from requiring subsidies from either of its main shareholders. As a result of some unforeseen triumphs and board-led dynamism, the State of Bavaria and the City of Munich will now receive the company’s profits as interest on their shareholder loans.

“All of our events performed considerably better than planned. Trade fair business in Munich is growing faster than the overall German market”, explains Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of the company. “That shows the enormous potential that our company has to offer.”

The final sales figures for the past year were ultimately estimated to stand at €220.1m – €5.3m more than was predicted at the start of the year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation amounted to €40.4m (€6.2m more than estimated), despite the fact that Messe München simultaneously pays some €50m every year in interest and principal repayments for the first phase of construction at the new trade fair centre.

Leading the pack
According to the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA), the Munich-based company continually grew at a faster rate than other trade fair organisers in Germany: estimates showed that the number of exhibitors and visitors nationwide in 2014 increased by one percent, while the amount of exhibition space itself remained fairly constant. In Munich, however, the number of exhibitors increased by four percent, visitors were up by five percent, and exhibition space increased by three percent.

Messe München International and its three exemplary venues – Messe München itself, the Internationales Congress Center München (ICM), and the Veranstaltungscenter München (MOC) – are widely recognised as instigators in the development of this increasingly promising trend.

“Our trade fairs in Munich are running exceptionally well, and the Internationale Congresszentrum ICM and the MOC in Freimann were well booked”, says Dittrich. In total, Messe München hosted 215 events this year with more than 1.7 million visitors and nearly 32,800 exhibitors. In addition to these guest events in Munich, Messe München International also held 13 of its own trade fairs.

According to Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy CEO of Messe München, “Munich is one of the leading destinations for conventions worldwide and is ranked in the top five in Europe. In Germany, we are number two after Berlin.”

The ICM hosted 85 events with some 127,000 visitors in 2014, while the MOC held 97 events with 330,000 visitors. 20 guest events, accommodating over 600,000 visitors, were also held at the trade fair centre.

A year of success
2014 saw Messe München hosting some of the world’s most influential trade fairs, including ISPO Munich in January. In April, nearly 40,000 visitors attended Analytica; far surpassing the 2013 event’s visitor number of 29,650. In May, IFAT, the world’s leading trade fair for environmental technologies, broke all of its previous visitor records with the support of Messe München. The highlight of the company’s year then came in November, when it was given the honour of hosting the Electronica trade fair in its 50th anniversary year – the same age as Messe München itself.

However, the organisation comes into its own in a particular field. “We are especially popular among physicians”, says Dr. Pfeiffer. September 2014 saw 20,000 visitors arriving in Munich as part of the European Respiratory Society’s annual congress, and 2016 is set to welcome a further 20,000 for the meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Furthermore, the largest cardiology congress in the world will be taking place in the Bavarian capital two years later.

A growing body
Messe München originated with twelve halls when the trade fair centre first opened. Four additional halls followed during subsequent years. Now, as part of its commitment to providing a world-class platform for all of its customers, Messe München is planning to build two brand new exposition halls. These structures, which will include an additional conference centre, are estimated to cost around €105m. The new conference facility will offer extremely flexible seating configurations that can seat up to 2,000 people.

Construction will begin in the summer of 2016 and is expected to take two years. Together, the two new halls will provide 20,000sq m of space, giving Messe München an overall area of 200,000sq m across 18 halls. A further 425,000sq m is also available in the form of outdoor exhibition space.

The completion of halls C5 and C6 will mark the end of the final phase of construction for the trade fair centre, which first opened in 1998. “We will finance construction entirely on our own and without subsidies from our shareholders”, says Dittrich.

Bigger and better
Of course, the company inevitably sees its fair share of challenges. The end of 2014 saw Messe München’s Managing Director, Eugen Egetenmeir, retiring after nearly 30 years with the group. As a result, January 2015 presented the company with a fresh set of trials in the form of a major board reshuffle: newcomers to the company included Stefan Rummel, Falk Senger and Monika Dech. Dech, who is working as a Deputy Managing Director, is the first female member of the Messe München management board. Referring to these new appointments, Dittrich says: “We are starting off the new year in 2015 with fresh strength and full of optimism.”

The benefits of this positive attitude are already being reaped, both within Germany and worldwide. Last year Messe München organised 18 trade fairs on international soil, including Bauma China, which took place in Shanghai in November 2014. The organisation also assisted with ISPO Beijing, which welcomed a record-breaking 30,000 visitors and 627 exhibitors, and hosted the first ever Food and Drink Technology Africa conference in Johannesburg in March. “As you can see, the company’s performance around the world is outstanding”, Dittrich says.

The group’s ambition has led to an incredible selection of successes, and with its latest expansion already taking shape, the company will surely continue to celebrate further triumphs in the coming years.

Gozo

Posted on February 19, 2015May 29, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

Close to four million passengers make the 25-minute crossing between the islands of Malta and Gozo each year. Just a 45-minute drive from Malta International Airport, the new Ċirkewwa ferry terminal offers an hourly service to the neighbouring 67sq km island, promising visitors spectacular views of the Gozo Channel and the nearby island of Comino en route.

Resplendent landscapes
Tourism is one of the main pillars of the Gozitan economy. The island’s government is committed to attracting more tourists for longer stays over the coming years, focusing on its distinct, resplendent landscapes and the appealing Mediterranean climate that makes it an attractive holiday destination all year round. The island offers an array of outdoor activities, including diving, kayaking and rock climbing. The Gozitan calendar also embraces traditional festas throughout the summer season, followed by a series of operas hosted by the main opera theatres of Victoria in October. Other influential annual festivals include the Mediterranean, and the Gaulitana music festivals.

[I]n 2014 the secluded bay of Mġarr ix-Xini was used in the motion picture By the Sea – directed and scripted by Angelina Jolie

The island’s breathtaking scenery and exquisite views have also contributed extensively to Gozo’s economy. In particular, the Azure Window in Dwejra has been the backdrop for a variety of movies and television series in recent years; featuring in Game of Thrones, Clash of the Titans and The Count of Monte Cristo. Additionally, in 2014 the secluded bay of Mġarr ix-Xini was used in the motion picture By the Sea – directed and scripted by Angelina Jolie.

Beyond beauty
Gozo is also demonstrating ambitious targets with regards to sustainability. The Ministry for Gozo’s eco-Gozo action plan was the first step in the island’s aim to become a fully sustainable ‘eco island’ by 2020. The vision focuses on all spheres of life on the island, where the Ministry acts as a leading force cooperating with and uniting all contributing stakeholders.

The future looks exciting for this idyllic island. The Ministry for Gozo is becoming increasingly aware of the island’s potential for investment. Plans to improve the island’s transport links and connectivity are now underway: these include the development of a cruise liner terminal, a yacht marina and improved air links.

The Ministry for Gozo also aims to progress in other areas over the coming years, including the hosting of high-level meetings, conferences and events. Part of the island’s attraction stems from its deep-rooted culture of hospitality, and the government is keen to make the very most of this potential in the foreseeable future.

Unique opportunities
The recent decision for an established software company – specialising in hi-tech payment systems – to open its newest office in Gozo is evidence of the fact that today’s interconnected world has provided new and unique opportunities for previously unfamiliar locations such as Gozo. The island has also been chosen as the location for a new medical school that will be established under the prestigious marque of Queen Mary University of London.

Malta Enterprise provides significant investment benefits, which have added additional incentives for companies to invest in Gozo. A combination of its opportunities for growth and its tranquil Mediterranean lifestyle has seen the island being increasingly acknowledged as an ideal place in which to do business. As a number of projects targeted at sustaining and enhancing the island’s economic progress take their first steps, it seems that the future truly is bright for Gozo.

PSAV’s innovative solutions change events industry

Posted on February 18, 2015February 16, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

From stage design to mobile apps, event technology firm PSAV offers innovative solutions for a diverse array of hospitality events – from the boardroom to the ballroom. With clients across the corporate, association and special event markets, its customer base is far-reaching. The company has come a long way since its founding over 75 years ago.

Memorable messages
PSAV’s aim is far more ambitious than simply providing technologies for hospitality events. The company seeks to create memorable experiences by leaving lasting audio-visual (AV) messages in the minds of attendees, drawing on the idea that engaging the senses can make people more receptive.

PSAV’s technologies, always at the forefront of innovation, cater to a variety of needs within the hospitality sector

“More aptly called ‘event technologies’, AV plays a very important part in what an audience experiences and how they learn and retain the meeting’s message”, says Mahesh Vadgama, the company’s Managing Director for Europe. “While attendees look forward to the entertainment value that AV brings to an event, neuroscience is actually proving that these event technologies are enhancing learning and improving the entire meeting experience.”

Those technologies, always at the forefront of innovation, cater to a variety of needs within the hospitality sector – from stage design to high-speed internet access and virtual events. PSAV’s services include power distribution, mobile solutions and 3D renderings, and the company prides itself on offering exclusive technologies – these include its Interactive Video Wall and the Content1 presentation management system (a database through which every aspect of an event can be organised). The company also offers leading rigging services. Health and safety is a top priority and, as such, the company holds Safe Contractor certification, guaranteeing that customers will receive the soundest practices.

Going paperless
PSAV has another goal: to help companies cut back on paper usage, thereby both saving them money and helping them to become more environmentally responsible. “Solutions have been developed to streamline content and presentation materials for speakers, provide real-time audience feedback to organisers, push content to attendees, and broadcast events across the country and the globe”, says Vadgama.

Its ‘paperless meetings’ package includes a custom-designed mobile app, audience response systems to encourage interaction between presenters and attendees, comprehensive content management systems and HD video conferencing, webcasting and web conferencing. “Each of these tools cuts down on the expense of printing brochures, speaker prospectuses, registration forms and surveys while simultaneously reducing each event’s carbon footprint”, says Vadgama. “Going paperless is the future, and environmentally conscious planners are finding that PSAV is keen on supporting their efforts to be green.”

People-focused
PSAV brings those tools to a diverse array of locations and events across the globe, with trained professionals in 1,200 destination resorts and hotels across the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe and the Middle East. Within PSAV, the European division alone offers event production services in the UK, France, Germany and Monaco.

In each of these places the company makes the most of its local expertise, drawing on the unique position to which it lays claim – offering more resources, in more places, than any other audio-visual partner in the world. A global sales team, meanwhile, ensures that clients across the world can get assistance wherever and whenever it is needed.

Customer service is another area in which PSAV excels. The company was recently awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification in recognition of its customer-focused approach and solid quality management system; something that a strong and talented workforce helps to achieve. The company also holds ‘Investors in People’ accreditation, which lays testament to its serious commitment to the furthering of its dedicated team. Such talent is continually recognised and nurtured through extensive training and various development programmes.

This combination of pushing for development and utilising unique, innovative solutions has proven a powerful one, firmly establishing PSAV as the go-to for the most ambitious events within the international hotel, resort and conference centre industry.

Qatar becomes leading MICE destination

Posted on February 18, 2015February 17, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

With its firm position as the richest country in the world per capita, Qatar is already steaming ahead in its efforts to transform itself into a thriving and competitive economic-powerhouse. Acting as a bridge between East and West, Qatar is perfectly positioned to act as a key strategic base for businesses looking to expand in the region, or further afield.

A leading member of the Gulf Cooperative Council, Qatar’s economy has been transformed over the last few decades as a result of its rich deposits of oil and gas. The country is dramatically expanding its economy and reinvesting its wealth into a number of industries, so that it is well prepared for the future. A diverse economy that is not restricted to any individual sector is key for the long-term prospects of any country, and Qatar’s government is well aware of the necessity to ensure it has invested its wealth across a broad range of sectors.

[A] great deal of money has been spent on making qatar as welcoming as possible for business travellers

An area of particular importance is that of turning the country into a place in which it is easy for the global business community to do business. As such, a great deal of money has been spent on making Qatar as welcoming and convenient as possible for business travellers.

One of the key institutions that is helping to foster this economic growth within Qatar is the Qatar Meeting, Incentive, Conference and Exhibition (MICE) Development Institute (QMDI), which is dedicated to helping promote the country as a place in which it is advantageous to do business. The organisation is helping to develop projects that include new world-class hotels, a state of the art convention centre and an international exhibition centre.

World-class venues
The QMDI is ambitious, and wants to establish itself as a leading brand of excellence that is recognised the world over for the wide range of platforms, high quality solutions and communication opportunities that it offers to the global business tourism community. The organisation’s stated mission is to “build a sustainable and profitable business, providing a full and comprehensive suite of services to the business tourism sector in Qatar, the surrounding region and the globe, through state-of-the-art delivery of differentiated services for the benefit of our company, society and the overall economy of the State of Qatar”.

The institute’s previous clients have included a diverse a range of organisations and events, including the Moto GP race, the Moscow International Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference, the G77 summit, and even a Lionel Richie concert. All manner of industries choose to host their events with the institute, from energy and construction to education, healthcare, legal, finance, science and technology.

The QMDI works alongside the Qatari government in an advisory capacity to ensure that the industry continues to grow, and that the country is persistently seen as the ideal place to host events. With the FIFA World Cup due to take place in the country in 2022, now is the perfect time for such an institute to help arrange leading meetings within Qatar, and to make sure that the country is well placed to welcome businesses and tourists from across the world.

Chairman and CEO of QMDI, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Naser, says the organisation is designed to help people and businesses fulfil their potential: “We invest in people; our primary assets, to create a model of sustainability, and differentiated services, in all aspects of our business and together, we translate our strategic objectives into intrinsic positive results.”

It is this attitude that is helping to ensure Qatar is at the forefront of the business tourism sector, and that it will remain there.

MiCo cements Milan’s position as a conference and exhibition leader

Posted on February 17, 2015February 16, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

For the past seven years, Milan has been preparing to welcome some 20 million visitors and 130 official exhibitors to Expo 2015. The not-for-profit exhibition, which will run from 1 May to 31 October, will be a momentous event, not only revealing the beauty of the city but also, due to the chosen theme of ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’, examining several fundamental global issues. The idea of nourishment is one that Expo 2015 will embrace, commencing with a showcase that will both highlight the cultural traditions of the participating countries and present the laboratories that have been researching new technological applications.

MiCo’s position as one of the biggest players in the convention industry has helped to promote Milan as an international conference location

A rich history
For Milan, Expo 2015 is a stage from which testimonies of the city’s rich history can be communicated to millions of guests. From its Roman and medieval ruins to its Rinascimento and Baroque jewels, Milan is a harmonious fusion of many different eras. Its crowning magnificence can be found in the spectacular Piazza del Duomo and the area surrounding the Sforzesco Castle – but surprises can be found everywhere. Churches of rare grace, majestic galleries and patrician houses with secret gardens amaze even the city’s own residents day after day.

Milan has been transforming itself for the past decade. Timeworn areas in the city centre have been redeveloped; breath-taking skyscrapers have been constructed; and work has started on two new subway lines beneath the city’s cobbled streets. The International Highrise Award was also awarded to the city’s Vertical Forest project in 2014: designed by architect Stefano Boeri, the project is an impressive example of symbiosis between nature and architecture. Two residential towers house 800 trees, 5,000 shrubs and 11,000 perennials and carpeting plants between them – in total, over 20,000sq m of vegetation.

Radical developments
Further radical architectural operations include CityLife; a residential and business district that will house the Arata Isozaki Tower (the tallest in the city, at 202m) and residential complexes designed by Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind upon completion. This area is also home to one of the largest congress centres in the world: Milano Congressi (MiCo), which was established in 2011 as an independent derivative of Fiera Milano, boasts a complex and dynamic structure as designed by Italian architects Mario Bellini and Pierluigi Nicolin.

Sustainability was made the centre’s distinguishing trait – from the air conditioning system to the floors, all materials, technology and lighting used are completely recyclable and intended to save energy. Almost 20,000 seats are available across 64 modular rooms, with facilities including production and interpreter booths, an auditorium with outstanding acoustics, 54,000sq m of supporting exhibition space, new-gen lights and LEDs, and exceptional catering services that promise to provide some of the very finest Italian cuisine.

Focusing on large international conventions and specialising in medical congresses, MiCo boasts a capacity unrivalled across the rest of Europe. As such, the centre’s position as one of the biggest players in the convention industry has helped to promote Milan as an international conference destination. In 2014, MiCo took centre stage in European politics when it hosted both the six-month mandate of the Italian presidency and the 10th annual Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the same year. The ASEM forum saw participation from the European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a series of other countries, including Australia, China, Korea, Japan, India and Indonesia.

MiCo, supported by its enviable facilities and a series of overwhelming successes, is frequently hailed as the ultimate conference venue. Buoyed by its first class location in the opulent city of Milan, where it is served by three international airports, MiCo is a natural and convenient crossroads for markets in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Orient.

Asia’s big tourism drive

Posted on February 17, 2015February 20, 2017 by Charlotte Gill

From a vibrant parade through the streets of Bangkok celebrating the launch of ‘Discover Thainess’ to the rollout of a huge television advertising campaign promoting the idea that ‘it’s more fun in the Philippines’, it seems that every tourism board in Asia is launching an initiative to showcase their rich cultures and encourage holidaymakers to visit in 2015. Even China, which already finds itself nestled comfortably in the top five most popular tourist destinations in the world, has kicked off a year of promotions aimed at attracting visitors to its Silk Road; the ancient trade route that links the country with dozens of others across the Euro-Asian continent.

And while the region is likely to see record-breaking visitor levels in 2015 and beyond, its potential stretches even further. However, such promise could remain unfulfilled unless it receives the infrastructure funding boost that it so desperately needs: McKinsey & Company says that the deterioration of housing, energy, transport, communications and water facilities has restricted economic growth by between three and four percent of GDP per year since the early 1990s. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), set to rival the IMF and World Bank, is due to begin operations this year and will hopefully bring about noticeable change where it is needed most in the region; with countries such as India, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines set to be the main beneficiaries. However, while providing a useful boost, the AIIB’s initial capital of just $50bn will hardly make a dent in the $8trn that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) claims is required over the next decade to bring the region’s infrastructure up to standard.

Untapped potential
There’s never been a better time to snap up the vast opportunities that the continent has to offer. The ADB predicts that Asia will account for half of all global GDP by 2050, and the growth rate achieved by many emerging markets in the region in recent years certainly is extraordinary. Domestic developments, which have been largely brought about by major structural reforms in many of the area’s nations, are likely to offset any negative impact of monetary tightening in the US and stagnation in the eurozone in 2015. Plus, economic growth aside, constantly improving airline connectivity (particularly with regards to a sharp rise in low-cost carriers) and a burgeoning Asian middle class are further contributing factors to a tourism boom in the region.

$8trn

Estimated to be needed to bring asia’s infrastructure up to scratch

16m

Additional jobs are set to be created by the asian travel and tourism industry over the next 10 years

This explosion has, of course, not gone unnoticed by investors, as drastic improvements to basic infrastructure in these nations are desperately needed to accommodate the growing number of visitors. Rapid urbanisation facilitated by a combination of governmental funding and private investors is taking place, with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as a leading provider of funding to Southeast Asian tourism infrastructure – but in many of these nations, it’s just not enough to keep up with ballooning demand.

Infrastructural shortfalls aside, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) warned of a ‘talent crisis’ in October 2014, suggesting that many Asian economies have failed to take investment in human capital seriously enough. While the travel and tourism industry is set to create a total of 16 million additional jobs across Asia over the next 10 years, the WTTC is concerned that governments have been too preoccupied with physical infrastructure and therefore neglected the development of talent. In a tertiary industry like travel and tourism, where quality people are absolutely crucial to delivering a quality product, this could be detrimental to its growth. “The region has a shortage of talent to occupy all the job vacancies available in tourism at the moment, and with the expected growth over the coming years, this situation will not improve”, says Mario Hardy, CEO of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).

However, the ASEAN Economic Community (due to come into effect later in 2015) could provide some relief: loosely modelled on the European Union, the panel will be a single market comprised of ten member states, and will, among other roles, allow citizens to move freely between borders without the need to obtain a visa. “ASEAN will present an opportunity for talent to work across borders, and assist with the expected growth”, adds Hardy.

The Golden Land
A 2010 general election brought five decades of military junta rule and isolation to an end in Myanmar (also known as Burma). Since then, various efforts have been undertaken to reconnect the Southeast Asian country with the rest of the world. Its government and tourism board are both keen to demonstrate that Myanmar’s days of forced labour and gross human rights abuse are behind it, and to instead show the world what the richly cultured nation has to offer: beautifully intricate architecture in the form of its famed ancient pagodas and Buddhist shrines, exotic and flavoursome foods, and its diverse and welcoming people.

Aside from a variety of economic and political reforms that have helped make the country a more attractive destination for tourism and investment, the unveiling of its Tourism Master Plan 2013-2020 two years ago – which outlines a total of 38 development projects valued at almost $500m – has brought about significant positive changes. The master plan is aimed at increasing Myanmar’s tourism competitiveness with other nations, protecting environmentally important areas, and safeguarding ethnic communities. Funded by the ADB and the Norwegian government, the scheme’s success so far can be measured by a record-breaking three million foreign visitors in 2014 – a huge 50 percent rise from the previous year. The Southeast Asian Games were held in the capital Naypyidaw in December for the first time in 44 years, and by 2020 seven million international travellers are forecast to have entered the country.

Myanmar’s tourism industry is going into overdrive to keep up with the various wants and needs of its new guests. Many young entrepreneurs are now stepping up to take advantage of the gaping hole in the market, while endless opportunities present themselves to investors and businesspeople alike, as the country still lacks much of the basic infrastructure required to support a bustling tourism industry: public transport can be unreliable and dated, and according to statistics produced by World Internet Stats, just one percent of the population had access to the internet in 2012 – one of the lowest rates in the world.

Further investment opportunities in Myanmar include the development of tourist sites and financial infrastructure – in particular ATMs, which are integral to increasing the footfall of tourists.

“Tourism has played a vital role in Myanmar by reducing poverty, enabling employment opportunities, balancing social and economic development, and implementing political reforms”, reports the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism in its national plan. Nyaung Shwe, a northern town in the Inle Lake region that is celebrated for its immense tranquillity, has seen more than 50 hotels spring up over the past two years, with many more already planned. This is a familiar scene across the country known by many as the Golden Land – and, while this is good news for modernisation and stimulation of the economy, environmental groups have voiced concerns over the impact that a bustling tourism industry and all that comes with it will have on the country’s natural resources. These groups are concerned that Myanmar will not learn from Thailand’s mistakes in its attitude to tourism, which many feel has had a detrimental impact on its cultural heritage and traditions; not to mention its natural landscape.

Constantly improving airline connectivity and a burgeoning Asian middle class are contributing factors to a tourism boom in Asia

Maintaining the balance
Pru Goudie, General Manager of On the Go Tours – a travel operator that provides tailor-made tours and packages to professionals and early retirees – says that many of the Southeast Asian destinations offered are slow burners, as demand for hotels continues to outstrip supply, despite seemingly constant construction. The worst affected are Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, all of which have become increasingly popular destinations in recent years. “Myanmar in particular is massively over-subscribed, and hotels are the central issue. We would undoubtedly be able to sell more packages if there were more places to sleep people”, she adds. Hardy says that Indonesia and Malaysia are particularly hot locations among international tourists at present.

However, finding the balance between urbanisation and authenticity is imperative to maintaining the appeal of the region to international visitors. Goudie says that while her clientele are by no means looking for budget holidays, they are more interested in authentic experiences than five-star hotels and Michelin-star food: taking part in a cooking lesson, or receiving a guided tour from an experienced local, are both increasingly popular activities. “For us it’s more about the cultural experience. While it’s nice to have a soft landing at night, we never go the whole five-star route, because it’s not really what our clients are interested in.”

While perhaps not the first place that springs to mind when summoning thoughts of rapid economic progress, Vietnam is in fact one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. According to World Bank, real income has grown 7.3 percent per year over the past decade, and in the fourth quarter of 2014 the country achieved an admirable 6.19 percent of GDP growth. And while it has long been a popular destination for backpackers, tourism in the 13th most densely inhabited country in the world has exploded in recent years. In 2014, 7.9 million international travellers visited the country – in 2000 that number stood at just 2.1 million. This influx of visitors has seen it gradually metamorphose into a more mainstream destination for older, wealthier travellers seeking a more luxurious holiday experience; presenting opportunities aplenty for high-end hotel and restaurant owners.

Strategic location
Commercial tourism is not the only industry undergoing a period of rapid transformation in the region. Worldwide growth in the MICE sector is strongest in Asia, having grown by 133 percent over the past six years, according to the MICE Agency, compared with the global market rate of 19.9 percent. Strategically located on several trade routes that conveniently connect it with Europe and beyond, the Asia Pacific region – and Southeast Asia in particular – is an increasingly attractive location for MICE events. At present, Indonesia is ahead of the crowd in terms of growth, with popular tourist destinations Bali and Jakarta being particular favourites. The country ranked 37th in the International Congress & Convention Association’s (ICCA) 2013 rankings, ahead of many significantly more developed countries. Meanwhile, the Philippines and Vietnam placed 49th and 50th respectively.

Rice terraces in Mu Cang Chai, north Vietnam

In that same year, MICE tourism contributed 40 percent of total foreign tourism in Indonesia, and IndoMice 2015 – scheduled to take place in May – is likely to stoke significant interest in what the country has to offer. With a goal to reach 20-25 million international tourists by 2019, the Indonesian Tourism Protection Board is placing a heightened focus on developing the MICE tourism sector. And, as an increasing number of countries in the region recognise the potential generated by their opportune location, more events of its kind are emerging.

The inaugural MICE Asia Pacific Exhibition 2014 drew significant interest into the region, from trade professionals and corporate buyers alike. Ultimately, the biggest problem facing MICE growth in Asia at present is the lack of accurate and consistent data. If this was available, both the government and its developers could correctly identify the needs of the market and progress accordingly.

Despite the gap in tourism infrastructure, Southeast Asia’s breathtaking scenery, varied climate and diverse and exciting cultures continue to attract record numbers of tourists. With these figures only set to increase as facilities improve, it’s clear that regional competition has only just begun.

Cuba gears itself up for tourism influx

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

December 17 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the ever-unchanging soap opera that is US-Cuba relations. President Obama called on congress to bring an end to a half-century-long embargo on the island: “What I know deep in my bones is that if you’ve done the same thing for 50 years and nothing has changed, you should try something different”, he told reporters. And by bringing down what many see as the last pillar of the Cold War, the US is finally acknowledging that to isolate Cuba is to handicap both nations.

No doubt it will take months, if not years, for the dust to settle as the Obama administration looks to eventually normalise ties with Cuba. However, the intent alone will bring immediate benefits to certain sectors of the economy – not least tourism, as travel operators have already received an overwhelming response from US citizens looking to sample Cuba’s sun, sea and cigars.

The walls may be unpapered, the Wi-Fi might be patchy and the cars might be 50 years old, but the experience is all the more memorable for it

“The devil is in the details, and we’ll have to see what the new regulations actually say to better gauge the impact”, says Collin Laverty, Head of Cuba Educational Travel. “One thing is certain: interest and demand has increased exponentially. Web traffic involving Cuba travel has tripled and our sales nearly doubled in the two weeks following the announcement.”

Open borders
Cuba’s tourism industry has already seen a fair few adjustments over the course of Obama’s presidency: in 2011, for example, the government relaxed travel restrictions on those visiting Cuba, only to quickly offset any gains by imposing tight limitations on tour operators. Up until the start of 2015, US citizens had to obtain a license to make the trip, on the grounds that it was for educational or cultural enrichment only. But perhaps most significant of all was when, also at the beginning of the year, the Commerce and Treasury departments unveiled new rules that allowed US citizens to visit the island without any government-given special permits. This hot and cold relationship has succeeded only in keeping a lid on inbound travel, and yet any progress made by the two nations since the island’s break from the Soviet Union has been marginal.

Still, travel to the island has been increasing in recent years, and it appears that Cuba’s rollercoaster relationship with the US has done little to deter tourists from visiting. The breakdown of the embargo, therefore, will only speed the process along, and with far fewer obstacles standing in the way, the island’s tourism industry is certainly about to enter a new era. Two decades on from when its borders were first opened to international tourists, Cuba’s sunny beaches and architectural marvels will finally feature in American travel agents’ front windows and on holiday brochure covers.

Memorable experience
In the late 80s and early 90s, the collapse of the Soviet Union plunged the island into an economic crisis; slicing 35 percent off its GDP and almost halving its import and export numbers. It was here that international tourism emerged as a saving grace for an otherwise destitute land, and brought Europeans, Latin Americans and – most of all – Canadians to the country in their droves. However, assuming Obama’s proposals go ahead as planned, US citizens will soon occupy a more sizeable chunk of the market.

Already the number of American tourists in Cuba is on a steep upwards curve, with government figures showing that 98,000 US citizens visited Cuba in 2012 – up from 73,500 in 2011 and twice the figure published five years before. But even as US citizens begin to flirt with the idea of a long weekend in Cuba, the fact remains that the country’s tourism sector is insufficient to meet lofty US standards. Customer service is poor, the cuisine is bland and public transport is less than dependable – yet the country’s pitfalls can also work to its advantage, as many visitors merely see them as part of its charm. The walls may be unpapered, the Wi-Fi might be patchy and the cars might be 50 years old, but the experience is all the more memorable for it.

“Despite reaching its goal of three million annual visitors, the country continues to attract one-time visitors – mainly sun and sand seekers and adventure travellers – and few high-end tourists and return visitors”, says Laverty. “It has failed to modernise its infrastructure, mainly in terms of airports, domestic flights and hotels. Many of the country’s hotels are in dire need of a face lift and there simply aren’t enough beds… The two most important changes of late are the government’s willingness to expand the private sector and to actually work with small entrepreneurs. Many of the country’s finest restaurants and most charming B&Bs are privately run. The other recent phenomenon is the number of arrivals from the US. About 500,000 Cuban-Americans on family visits and 100,000 Americans on educational tours now make the US the number two supplier of visitors after Canada.”

As a rush of US citizens bring their sandals and sun hats to Cuba, related products and services – not to mention accommodation – will surely step up a gear or two as the industry looks to rake in US dollars and free-spending tourists. Gone are the days when Canadian, European and South American tourists could enjoy a Cuban break on the cheap: with American tourists comes higher prices, and irrespective of the difficult relationship shared between the two countries, Cuba will be no different.

Doing away with the 50-year-old policy would mark a major milestone for US-Cuba relations – however, it would also bring an end to the island’s status as a go-to budget break for those in Europe, Canada and South America. In building hotels to prepare for an American invasion or ports to cater for Caribbean cruise liners, Cuba’s budget status will fast become a thing of the past.

Threatening tourism
In addition to Cuba’s price dilemma, the development could bring about major changes for the entire Caribbean tourism market: experts at the IMF have previously stated that lifting the embargo for US tourists would profoundly affect the whole industry, and as a result, Cuba could pull valuable custom away from a number of neighbouring holiday destinations.

“Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas and other countries in the Caribbean have long feared the impact that Cuba’s opening to the US market will have on their local economies”, says Laverty. “Cuba sure has a lot to offer and, after five and a half decades of being prohibited, it’s sure to become a top destination for American travellers in the near future. Most studies estimate two to three million American tourists per year once the embargo is fully lifted. Other countries in the Caribbean will have to look for options to offset their losses, such as joint packages with Cuba.”

No matter the effect on the surrounding tourism market, what’s more important is the impetus that a changed relationship with the US will bring in improving Cuba’s (frankly inadequate) facilities and services. “The government will have to move fast – opening up to foreign investment and giving the private sector more space – if it hopes to take advantage of the growing demand”, says Laverty. And it is here, above all else, that the changes to the tourism sector will be most evident.

Jules Gray is pushed to tipping point

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Charlotte Gill

The experience of travelling abroad and having to work out what exactly you are supposed to tip is a frequent cause of awkwardness and potential fury. In fact, it’s often enough to make a traveller worry that they may have irreparably damaged the standing of their compatriots overseas and potentially hastened the prospect of war.

Perhaps then the most treacherous place for nervous tippers to travel to (or just those generally terrified of any form of confrontation with a stranger) is the US. Woefully low-paid workers rely on their tips, and therefore do their utmost to earn them – usually by competing to become a patron’s new best friend.

The differences in culture over when to tip and what for are so fraught with danger that it should be included in the list of things a pilot announces upon a plane’s descent into a destination

The American dream
One of my brief trips to New York led to so much fretting over which services I was actually expected to pay for that I ended up having to carry around large wads of one-dollar bills in my pocket. Just arriving at my hotel resulted in the cab driver opening my door and waiting expectantly for some sort of donation, even though I’d already paid by card for the suspiciously roundabout route from the airport. $10 was promptly dispatched.

Then an overly enthusiastic man leapt towards my bag and offered to carry it to my room, even though (despite my weedy appearance) I’m more than capable of carrying the small laptop-sized case myself. Ignoring my protestations, he eagerly followed me to my room, placed the bag down before standing in the doorway, and blankly stared at me for a painfully long time until I handed over another $10.

Later that evening, to wash away the trauma of all the earlier awkwardness, I went to a local hipster bar. After ordering a bottle of pathetically weak American beer, I was shocked to find that – having paid and walked a mere four steps away from the bar – I was confronted by the barman, barking in my face, “Hey buddy, where’s my goddamn tip?” I sheepishly handed over yet another sizeable bill. It was only when I returned home considerably poorer than when I’d left that I realised tips should only be a couple of dollars.

Culture shock
However, other countries have different policies. In Argentina it is even illegal to offer a tip, which is exactly the sort of forward-thinking economic decision that the country has become known for and others should take note of. While not banned in Japan, tipping is considered highly offensive. France is, mercifully, one of the few countries where a tip is factored into a bill by law, and so their waiters don’t require any additional payment – although that could also be why they’re always so notoriously rude.

Even in the UK, where service charges are now usually added to a bill, these social hurdles are prevalent. While English workers would never dream of asking for a tip outright, they will almost certainly attempt some sort of unpleasant revenge if you don’t offer one.

Yet the habit of service being added onto a bill in advance causes some people to become irrationally furious, as though it’s prevented them from deciding just how much the poorly paid staff deserves to get. In reality, of course, they’re upset because they can’t get away with not paying anything without rudely asking for it to be removed, and therefore causing that most un-English of happenings – a confrontation.

Mental arithmetic
There are more areas where this awkwardness emerges: how much am I supposed to tip at the barbershop? £2? £5? But he’s ruined my hair and made me look like I’m about to start my first day at school – £10 it is. The differences in culture over when to tip and what for are so fraught with danger that it should be included in the list of things a pilot announces upon a plane’s descent into a destination. “Welcome to such-and-such! The weather is 26 degrees, the local time is 3pm, and for god’s sake, do remember to give waiters at least a 10 percent tip.”

Alternatively, perhaps the only way around these frequent cultural clashes is some form of global standardisation. Instead of wasting time trying to restore economic prosperity, solve global warming and end all conflicts, the UN should focus its expertise on eradicating the horrific suffering that is caused by differences in gratuity cultures.

New Orleans makes a mighty comeback

Posted on February 16, 2015February 20, 2017 by Charlotte Gill

The devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on one of the US’ oldest and most populous cities shocked the world in 2005. Causing huge structural damage, close to 1,000 deaths and the loss of countless people’s homes, many thought that the effects of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans would be so severe that the city would struggle to return to anything close to its former glory. The vast expense of rebuilding such a large city, let alone rehousing many of the residents who had lost their homes, seemed too daunting a task.

Keystats: Hurricane Katrina

986
Louisiana residents died as a result of Hurricane Katrina

80%
of New Orleans was flooded

273,000
people were housed in hurricane shelters

However, nearly a decade since the catastrophe struck New Orleans, there are signs that it has started to recover. Economic growth that is outpacing other US cities has been welcomed, and a staggering number of citizens have shown an impressive determination to return to the city they have always called home – a city that was once one of the most distinctive in the US, known for its rich history and diverse culture. As such, it is one that many of the world’s inhabitants would be equally determined to see undefeated.

Cultural offerings
New Orleans has long been known as a unique melting pot of cultures that have little representation elsewhere in the US, ranging from the French-speaking contingent to the Cajun descendants of Acadian exiles. Today, the city is made of many different groups
that bring their own distinct characters and cultures to its various districts.

While many cities in the US trace their history back to settlers from a variety of European countries, New Orleans has a distinctly French influence that is the result of it being, for a long period, France’s most important outpost in North America. The first settlers from France arrived in the 1690s, but it wasn’t until 1718 that the country officially founded Nouvelle-Orléans as a major colonial city. Although it was also occupied by the Spanish from 1763 until 1800, the city firmly maintained its French influence on account of its strategic location close to many French Caribbean islands, including Haiti and Saint-Dominique.

Thanks to this mix of cultures, New Orleans is unlike any other US city. It has developed its own dialect, thanks to the surrounding American English, Cajun and Southern accents, and the French language is still spoken by many. Its food is world-renowned – based largely on local Creole, Cajun and French cuisine, as well as influences from Cuba, Spain, Italy, and Africa – and the city’s local seafood is especially good.

City sights

Where to eat:

Lüke
The brainchild of chef, television presenter and author John Besh, Lüke has been serving local New Orleans Franco-German fine dining since 2007. It’s particularly known for its locally sourced seafood, including the Louisiana Shrimp Cavatelli, as well as more German fare, like Chappapeela pork schnitzel and ragout of wild boar. While not usually a restaurant to go to on a budget, Lüke offers discounts each weekday between 3pm and 6pm, where diners can enjoy raw oysters and speciality cocktails for half price. The full-service bar is also one of the few places in New Orleans to serve German, French and Belgian beers, as well as three locally brewed beers.

Mr B’s Bistro
Famous for its Creole food, Mr B’s Bistro can be found in the heart of the city’s French Quarter. This part of New Orleans is renowned for its food, and Mr B’s Bistro is seen as the original gourmet bistro, having been founded in 1979 by acclaimed local restaurateur Cindy Brennan. Diners can enjoy such dishes as bacon-wrapped jumbo gulf shrimp and grits, or honey-ginger blazed pork chops. On Sundays, a live jazz trio performs for diners at lunchtime. Closed in 2005 after severe damage from Hurricane Katrina, it reopened in 2007 with exactly the same look and atmosphere as before. The restaurant even has its own cookbook, penned by its owner, Brennan.

Where to stay:

International House Hotel
In the heart of the modern central business district is this beautiful former bank, which was converted into the International House Hotel in 1998. Littered with local art, the hotel is a tribute to the historical mix of cultures found throughout New Orleans. The Beaux-Arts style building, which began life in 1906 as the Canal Louisiana Bank & Trust, was transformed into the world’s first World Trade Center in 1943. Its latest incarnation as a hotel offers luxury accommodation, a colourful character, high quality local food and music, while sitting in the middle of the district in which many international business travellers are based.

Ashton’s Bed and Breakfast
For an alternative place to stay in one of the city’s most historic districts, Ashton’s Bed and Breakfast is hard to top. Luxury rooms in this charming Greek revival mansion all have high ceilings, four-poster beds, chandeliers, and an atmosphere that takes visitors back to the city’s heyday. Built in 1861, the house is in the historic Esplanade Ridge district, just a short walk from the French Quarter. An open courtyard also allows visitors a tranquil space to relax amid the hustle and bustle of the city. The hotel is known for its generous breakfasts that include local spins on traditional dishes, including its famous Mardi Gras Eggs Benedict.

Where to meet:

Morial Convention Center
Named after former Mayor of New Orleans, Ernest N Morial, this conference centre is the sixth largest in the US. Built in 1978, it has a 1.1 million sq ft exhibition space that covers nearly 11 blocks, as well as an additional two million sq ft of other space. It became an iconic feature of the post-Katrina relief efforts, when it housed many of the displaced citizens that had lost their homes in the hurricane, as well as acting as a medical clinic. A complete renovation was finished in November 2006 and the centre now caters for a wide range of different meetings and corporate events, only minutes away from the city’s best restaurants and exciting nightlife.

Hyatt Place
The world-renowned Hyatt chain of hotels has established itself in New Orleans as the go-to place for business events. The Hyatt Place New Orleans Convention Center welcomes visitors from all over the world, offering packages that include room rental, food, drinks and audio-visual facilities. Ideal for small corporate and executive events, guests receive free wi-fi throughout the building. The centre is also conveniently situated directly across the street from the Morial Convention Center, meaning that business people attending the city’s largest events can arrange a smaller get-together in the comfort of the beautiful Hyatt hotel.

Perhaps the city’s most well known cultural offering is music, with blues and jazz being particularly prominent: one of New Orleans’ famous sons is jazz musician Louis Armstrong, and the city also hosts a number of annual music festivals, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Southern Decadence, Voodoo Experience, and the French Quarter Festival. Its most famous annual event, however, is undoubtedly Carnival – more commonly known as Mardi Gras. Taking place at the start of the year, Mardi Gras New Orleans is a roughly two week-long celebration that includes a major parade every day and parties across the entire city.

However, all of these attractions were put in serious jeopardy when Hurricane Katrina struck, causing many to wonder whether a city once known as a place to which people from the world over would travel would ever fully recover.

The devastation
Battering the south coast of the US during the Atlantic hurricane season of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ultimately caused the most financial damage of any natural disaster in the country’s history. As one of the deadliest hurricanes that the US has ever seen, causing at least 1,833 fatalities across the country, the impact of Katrina was truly devastating. While it struck much of the Gulf Coast and Louisiana, the biggest damage was caused in New Orleans after the city’s levee system completely failed to prevent huge amounts of water from flooding it. Such was the flow of water that as much as 80 percent of New Orleans was submerged, and it took weeks before the waters subsided.

While it’s hard to put the blame for such a natural disaster on anyone, the inadequacy of the flood control system is seen as one of the worst civil engineering failures in the country’s history. It led to a number of lawsuits against the government and the designers of the flood control system, as well as the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – although these eventually came to nothing.

Rebuilding the economy
Perhaps the most important aspect of New Orleans’ economy is its port, which is one of the largest and busiest in the world. The city itself was founded because of its strategically advantageous location on the Gulf Coast, offering mainland access to the Gulf of Mexico as well as up into the Mississippi River. The city also has a prominent oil and petrochemical production industry – thanks in large part to this seaport – and is home to many leading firms, including Exxon, Chevron, BP, Texaco, Shell, the Dow Chemical Company and Koch Industries.

While the shipping and energy industries certainly dominate the city’s economy, its rich cultural heritage means that New Orleans also attracts a considerable amount of tourism. A $6.47bn industry that accounts for around 40 percent of the city’s tax revenues, the tourism industry has bounced back after the turmoil of Katrina. In 2013, the city welcomed 9.28 million visitors, which was an increase of three percent on the previous year. Spending has increased too, helping to contribute to the city’s economic recovery.

In a report published last year by the New Orleans Convention and Business Bureau (CVB) and the University of New Orleans, it was noted that while visitor numbers had sunk to 3.7 million in the year following Katrina, they have soared in the years since. Stephen Perry, New Orleans CVB’s President and CEO, said in the report how important this resurgence in the industry has been for the city: “The traveller economy at its core is about driving economic growth and enriching the lives of people. The more than nine million visitors in 2013 pumped a record $6.47bn in spending directly into our city. The money contributes greatly to state and local economies and supports jobs for more than 78,000 New Orleanians from every neighbourhood.”

Staying afloat
New Orleans’ economic recovery has been somewhat remarkable, considering the full scope of the devastation that the city suffered in 2005. Coupled with the subsequent global financial crisis of 2008, the circumstances in which New Orleans found itself could not have been more challenging. Mayor Mitch Landrieu, however, has set about reforming much of the city’s economy and labour practices while encouraging businesses to return to the area. He has invested heavily in diversification, which included the construction of BioDistrict, a new 1,500-acre biomedical corridor that is intended to attract bioscience companies and researchers to the city, as well as a 300-person strong General Electric software development centre. There has also been a surge in video game and creative companies setting up shop in the area, along with an influx of educated young people.

According to research by the Data Center – a New Orleans-focused group that has been studying the city’s recovery after Katrina – the progress made in the eight years since the hurricane struck has been encouraging, and the employment reforms being implemented should return the city to prosperity. “There is no doubt progress has been made. Leaders and residents have undertaken an unprecedented number of reforms that, over time, may have transformative outcomes. In addition, the New Orleans metro has weathered the Great Recession impressively”, states the report.

It added: “The recession took hold locally in 2008, and the metro lost only one percent of its jobs before the economy rebounded. In contrast, the nation haemorrhaged jobs beginning in 2007 and lost six percent before its turnaround. By 2012, the New Orleans metro had fully recovered, and employment levels surpassed the 2008 peak by one percent. At the same time, the nation remained three percent behind its pre-recession employment level.”

Part of the reason for this recovery is the government’s policy of diversifying the economy, while also encouraging entrepreneurship, according to the Data Center. “The economy is a current strength of New Orleans. Diversification is happening with traditional industries (such as shipping and tourism) and newer knowledge-based industries (such as higher education, insurance agencies and heavy construction and engineering), [and they are] expanding despite the Great Recession. Entrepreneurial activity is taking off. For New Orleans to expand diversification, producers within older industries can tap new markets by rearranging their current products and expertise. In emerging industries, producers can aim to export specializations more broadly — even globally — to sustain success. Entrepreneurship can help achieve these goals.”

New Orleans city diary

Mardi Gras, New Orleans, Feb 6-17
The city’s most famous event, Mardi Gras is a two-week celebration of all that New Orleans has to offer. Parades, parties, fireworks and balls all take place, primarily around Bourbon Street and the French Quarter, but it has also spilled out into other parts of the city.

International Beer Festival, Champions Square, March 22
Every self-respecting city has a beer festival, and New Orleans is no different. Taking place each March at Champions Square, visitors can enjoy more than 150 craft beers from across the world, as well as exclusive seminars on how
to cook with beer.

Literary Festival, 938 Lafayette Street, March 25-29
An annual five-day literary festival dedicated to one of the country’s most acclaimed playwrights, the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival culminates in the Stella and Stanley Shouting Contest, based on a scene from Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire.

Foodfest, French market, March 27-29
A weekend-long celebration, Foodfest is made up of three events: Street Festival, featuring hometown eats from pecan pie to Texan pit barbecue; America’s Hometown Sweets, where desserts and sweet treats are on offer as far as the eye can see; and the Beignet Eating Contest.

French Quarter Festival, French Quarter, April 9-12
Founded in 1983, the French Quarter Festival is a free music event in one of New Orleans’ most distinct neighbourhoods. Featuring predominantly local music, it saw 732,000 people attend last year and bills itself as the ‘largest free festival in the US’.

Jazz and Heritage Festival, Fair Grounds Race Course, April 24 – May 3
Also known simply as Jazz Fest, this is the city’s largest music and cultural event and has been running since 1970. While it encompasses New Orleans’ entire musical heritage, international stars also perform, with The Who and Elton John playing this year.

Wine and Food Experience, New Orleans, May 20-23
Over 100 of the city’s finest restaurants and more than 250 wineries are present at one of the city’s most extravagant festivals. Live music, food tastings, seminars, talks and expert-led classes all feature on the event’s extensive list of activities and attractions.

Greek Festival, Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, May 22-24
New Orleans may have been founded by the French, but it boasts a thriving Greek community. On Memorial Day weekend each year, the city’s Greek inhabitants celebrate with three days of food, drink and music. Specialities include souvlaki, spanakopita and gyro pita.

Unbalanced recovery
While New Orleans has enjoyed a period of economic growth during the last nine years, not everyone in the city is seeing the benefits. As a result, the poverty rate in the area has jumped significantly. Allison Plyer, Executive Director of the Data Center, told The Guardian last August that, while this wasn’t a problem exclusive to the city, it was certainly more pronounced in New Orleans: “Like the nation, we are seeing increasing income inequality. Even though our economy is doing well, not everyone is benefiting.”

Despite a series of encouraging signs, inequality in the city has continued to grow. The report warns that an uneven spread of employment will have a detrimental effect on the city, and that all areas across New Orleans must be treated fairly. “Yet, preparation of the labour force is happening unevenly, and the benefits of employment are being accrued unevenly as well. To be sure, all the progress the New Orleans metro makes in other [areas] will not be enough to signal to the world the emergence of a qualitatively different place post-Katrina if large segments of the population continue to be left behind. New Orleans must cultivate a culture that promotes openness, creative collaboration, and interaction across groups that becomes evident in its economic activity.”

Laura Paul, Executive Director of the charity Lowernine.org – which is helping to rebuild the city after the devastation of Katrina – says that it is likely to be another decade before New Orleans can claim to have fully recovered from the hurricane. She told The Guardian that the comparative poverty found in the city, even before the hurricane struck, meant that the recovery would take longer: “Conservative estimates have the recovery of this community taking another decade. Studies suggest that communities of low wealth take three times longer to recover from events like this than communities of means, which makes sense.”

However, Paul stresses that such is the connection New Orleans inhabitants have with their city that people are starting to return after being displaced. In the lower ninth ward that her organisation is helping to restore, she says this is particularly apparent: “You wouldn’t come back if you didn’t love this neighbourhood. It’s just not an easy place to live.”

Even before Katrina hit, New Orleans was one of the poorer parts of the US – at around 19 percent, the city’s poverty rate was considerably higher than the US average of 15 percent. While the rate has declined in recent years, there is obviously still a lot more that needs to be done to turn New Orleans into a thriving and successful economic city.

Looking to the future
New Orleans experienced a setback in 2005 that few cities would find easy to recover from. That it is returning to any semblance of prosperity is a testament to the determination of its citizens and the unique and varied character that the city possesses. This charm has also been shown through the passion and loyalty that the city’s inhabitants feel towards it.

This can be seen from a recent television show based upon the city and its recovery after Katrina: in 2010, acclaimed journalist and television writer David Simon followed up his award-winning exposition of Baltimore’s drug dealing and gang culture, The Wire, with a show about New Orleans’ rich musical scene and how the city dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Treme follows a number of residents living in that part of the city in the months following Katrina as they rebuild their lives, homes and hold onto their unique culture. The particular focus on musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians and other distinct citizens of New Orleans gives the show its heart, bringing to life the celebrated character of the city that they all treasure so much.

In an interview with website Reason.com in 2012, Simon spoke of how people from New Orleans have a greater attachment to it than any other US citizen does for their own city: “Before the storm, 77 percent of the population was born there. That’s unheard of in America. Everyone is from somewhere else in this country. But if you’re born there, if you grow up with that culture and that essence, it’s very hard to say goodbye.”

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