Articles tagged “gateway”

Is the formation of a pan-African tourism body the solution to boosting the continent’s tourism numbers? With industry players slow to sign up, the new African Tourism Board initiative from the International Coalition of Tourism Partners has its work cut out for it.

India’s Ola has started operations in two major Australian cities, following hot on the heels of Estonia’s Taxify. The newcomers are exploiting opportunities unlocked when Uber paved the way for increased competition in a market in the tight grip of taxi operators.

Travel companies were spared the first round of the U.S.-China trade war. But outbound travel to the United States and U.S. hospitality companies could become collateral damage without too much provocation.

Qantas' new pilot academy may address the airline’s needs, but won’t solve an imbalance which has already seen regional Australian airlines cancel and reschedule services. Meanwhile, the government has bowed to pressure and will again grant temporary visas to pilots after scrapping them last year.

Brisbane-based Alliance Airlines continues to see opportunities where others fear to fly. It has done extremely well in Australia’s mining boom, and now aims to grow its tourism activities to shield it from the ups and downs of the resources sector.

Australia’s largest travel agent, Flight Centre, is not resting on its laurels after posting record revenues and strong profits. To ensure it stays on track, the group is shedding underperforming businesses, and dumping some of its leisure brands. It is also chasing growth in emerging business lines ranging from destination management to foreign exchange services.

Both Qantas and Virgin Australia should have Wi-Fi available on all domestic flights by the end of 2018. While travelers want to stay connected, they probably won’t pay for Wi-Fi, but might choose flights on the basis of internet coverage, especially on longer routes.

Australians have taken to cruising like ducks to water. With around 85 percent of bookings going through travel agents, this sector is providing a shot in the arm for travel retailers hit by falling margins in their bread-and-butter flights and hotels business.

In less than 100 days, Cape Town may run out of water. While the impact on the city’s crucial tourism industry has been limited thus far, that could soon change.

With the sharing economy accounting for almost one in three vacation beds in Australia, the impact of Airbnb and Stayz is being widely questioned. But with hotel occupancy levels and room prices still rising, hotels and lobbying groups' efforts to restrict private rentals seem like an overreaction.