Dr Judy Thomas (MBA, PhD, FICS)’s Post

Hotel Prices in Hainan Drop as China's Outbound Travel Market Recovers

⚡ 9-Day Holiday Stimulated Tourism - While the Eid al-Adha holiday, which lasted 9 days, stimulated tourism, flight ticket sales for Eid al-Adha increased by 40 percent. While there was an 82 percent increase in hotel reservations, the most reservations were made for Antalya, Bodrum and Izmir hotels.

The Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA) is predicting a gloomy month for the industry after it saw a ten per cent decline in its occupancy rate for Easter this year. Meanwhile, smaller inns recorded an average of 40 per cent this season. In 2023, hoteliers recorded up to a 70 per cent occupancy rate. In 2024, it dropped to 60 per cent. Vice president of the association Mari Yip-John pointed fingers at the unavailability of flights on the air bridge as the main deterrent. She felt the air bridge could not meet the demands of the number of travellers trying to get to Tobago this season. She told Guardian Media, “We would have hoped for a higher occupancy, but we did have a lot of members who would have lower than 65 and a few who were higher. But, generally, there were still a lot of rooms and villas that were available.” She said activities during Easter and the Tobago Jazz Experience in April carry the island’s tourism sector. Last month, the Tobago House of Assembly pulled out as the main sponsor of the jazz event, deeming it unsustainable. However, one private promoter, Black Two Sugars, announced a significantly scaled-down jazz weekend from April 25–28. Yip-John said, “This is going to be a very difficult month for Tobago, not just the tourism sector but all the other businesses that are directly affected by tourism. We average 60 per cent occupancy. What our members indicated is that they did have people calling, but there were no flights for them to come over. “We are aware there was still a demand based on the phone calls properties were getting, and people could not get to Tobago.” With an alarmingly low occupancy rate this Easter and the cancellation of jazz, the sector is bracing for a harsh blow. Read More:  https://lnkd.in/eEYK9sSk

Can be done in Portugal, as long as the public administration has a vision of Quality vs Quantity My support!! As long is not just a prohibition of development. A long term vision is necessary, which doesn’t exist on the public sector in Portugal, because they work based on 4 years political cycle. Moreover, any municipality in Portugal that wants to preserve its identity, should take measures on this direction for any type of development. Stop new construction Renovate old buildings Reduce density The way to go…….

The Court of Appeal yesterday (21 May 2024) issued interim orders suspending the operation of the Extraordinary Gazette Notification published on 11th September 2023 which imposed a Minimum Room Rate (MRR) for corporate and free independent tourist hotel rooms located within the limits of the Colombo Municipal Council area. Faiszer Musthapha, PC with Shaheeda Barrie, Tharaka Nanayakkara, and Sierra Amarasiri appeared for the Petitioners including Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference & Exhibition Organizers (SLAPCEO) and Association of Small & Medium Enterprises in Tourism (ASMET). The Petitioners argued that the MRR was implemented in violation of the Tourism Act, No.38 of 2005 and without adequate consultation with key stakeholders in the tourism industry. They claimed that the rate lacked a rational basis, pointing out that the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority did not conduct a proper study before imposing the MRR. Petitioners further stated that MRR would leave Sri Lanka uncompetitive in comparison to regional competition as market forces were no longer able to determine prices. Thus, Petitioners submitted that this MRR unfairly favours certain hotel categories while detrimentally affecting the industry as a whole. https://lnkd.in/gFR-2fCa

SL loses Russian charters to competitors this summer Sri Lanka’s tourism industry faces a setback this summer as it is losing Russian charters to competitors. The decline comes amid escalating landing charges at Mattala International Airport (MRIA) and a significant rise in hotel rates, driven by minimum room rate policies among Colombo City hotels. According to Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) former Vice President and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau former Director Angeline Ondaatje, Russian charters including 412-seater twice a week flight operated by Redwing has decided to drop Mattala from its summer flight operations. “Last year, we had charters that came from Russia throughout the summer. But, this year, some of the hoteliers got together and agreed on an informal price increase and as a result some hotels increased their prices over 100 percent,” she said.  Instead of flying to Sri Lanka, Ondaatje noted that these charters are now flying to more easily accessible and price competitive destinations such as Turkey and Thailand. “I spoke to some of the charters, to find out why they clearly told me that it was financially viable last year, but not this year. Since the government has increased landing charges at Mattala Airport and certain hotels increased their room rates from US$ 65 to over US$ 100, it isn’t financially viable. These charters are either operating to turkey or to Thailand,” she elaborated. #SriLanka #Russia #RedWings #pricecontrols #landingcharges #hotels #charter https://lnkd.in/dvKdXyMh

What deters Kerala from realising the potential in MICE and wedding tourism?

New Cruise Terminal in Goa to Boost Tourism and Economy The Mormugao Port Authority Goa (MPA) is set to enhance Goa's tourism and local economy with the new International and Domestic Cruise Terminal, expected to open by March 2025. This development, driven by a 40% increase in cruise passengers during the 2023-24 fiscal year, will feature modern facilities including 24 immigration counters, 10 check-in counters, and amenities like duty-free shops and a food court. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal emphasized the terminal's potential to elevate Goa's position in the global cruise market. Read full news : https://lnkd.in/gtHrFVq7 Follow our page for more updates related to Tourism and MICE Industry. #GoaCruiseTerminal #TourismBoost #LocalEconomy #CruiseIndustry #MormugaoPort #TravelInfrastructure #GlobalCruiseMarket #SustainableTourism #CruisePassengerGrowth

Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel, voted as the top luxury hotel in the world by Trip.com in their 2024 Best Global and Asia 100 Rankings.* Global Travel and Tourism a $855 billion market - with an expected annual growth rate of 4.42% annually - to exceed $1 trillion by 2027. The impact of Chinese travel and tourism: - In 2019, 2.8 million Chinese visitors accounted for only 4% of all inbound foreign travelers to the U.S., yet they accounted for 13% of spending. - The average Chinese tourist traveling independently (versus a group tour package) spends $10,445 on a trip to the U.S. - In 2024, fewer than 850,000 Chinese will travel to the U.S. (Other estimates predict over 1 million). - That 68% drop in traveler volume translates to more than $20 billion that Chinese visitors will not spend in the U.S. in 2024. - The impact is most evident in San Francisco where the economic impact has gone from $1.2 billion in 2019 to $286 million in 2023. Source Forbes/National Travel & Tourism Office - U.S. Department of Commerce  https://lnkd.in/g3hXp6hc Trip.com Ranking Press Release* https://lnkd.in/gu_FUYxt

Price gouging, boring tours, forced shopping. They are found in what is known as “zero-dollar tours” and they have proliferated with the resurgence of China’s tourism industry – both domestic and international – in the post-Covid era. These tours almost always come with a ridiculously low price tag, but should carry a “buyer beware” warning. Some travel tour businesses offer “zero-dollar tours” which claim to cover the cost of transportation, accommodation, and meals. While so-called “zero-dollar” tours offer convenience, they also come with hidden costs and coercive tour guide behaviour. As the business model relies heavily on commissions from tourist shopping, many agencies may use coercion and enticement to ensure spending at selected stores that sell overpriced products. If shopping quotas are not met, tour guides may refuse transportation or even insult tourists.