UNWTO Launches the #MyAFRICA Campaign to Showcase Africa as a World-Class Tourist Destination

#MyAfrica – Sharing stories about your Africa

#MyAFrica

#MYAFRICA

African countries have demonstrated a commendable determination in making tourism a strong ally of sustainable growth for millions in the region. Now is the time for them to speak up and share the stories that showcase the best of Africa as a world-class tourist destination.

WHAT:

UNWTO is launching a social media campaign with a strong human angle to boost Africa’s potential as a vibrant and diverse tourist destination. We aim to showcase the power of tourism through their protagonists and help bringing sustainable growth and opportunities for millions in the region.

We need your collaboration in reaching out to the most inspiring people from the tourism sector in Africa. We want to gather their stories, learn from their experiences and offer UNWTO to echo their stories with the world.

MyAfricaHOW:

Participants should answer the 3 following questions:

  1. Why did you choose to work in tourism or in field related to tourism?
  2. How has tourism helped you grow?
  3. In 3 words, describe Africa as a diverse tourist destination.

 

STEPS:

  1. Record a video answering those questions.
  2. Write your voice! Send us the transcript of your story.
  3. Look into your camera, click and share with us your favourite portrait-pic.
  4. Send it to comm@unwto.orgwith the subject #MyAfrica, stating your name and country of residence.

Tips for recording:

  • Prepare yourself
  • Embrace trial & error and film your message more than once!
  • Make sure the settings of the camera are set at the highest quality possible and that you’re recording in a horizontal frame.
  • Also, avoid any background noise and try not to get too close to the mic.
  • Wait 2 seconds before and after you stop/start speaking to stop/start speaking.

TBS Africa, as an organization committed to promoting Eco-friendly and sustainable travel and tourism destinations and experiences in Africa for Africa by Africans, is fully in support of the UNWTO’s #MyAfrica challenge.

Europe has ‘Failed Miserably’ on COVID-19, says CEO, Wizz Air

European governments have failed in their approach to tackling the COVID-19 crisis and should completely rethink their strategy on aviation, the CEO of Wizz Air has told Routes Reconnected.

By Wesley Charnock

Posted –

Europe has failed in its approach to tackling the COVID-19 crisis and should completely rethink its strategy on aviation, the CEO of Wizz Air has told Routes Reconnected.

Speaking on the third day of the event, József Váradi said that governments “have not done anything good” for the industry since the outbreak, either in terms of their approaches to restrictions or airline financing.

“Europe, which is supposed to be a fairly well-defined way of cooperating between countries, has failed miserably on everything,” Váradi said. “We are operating to 46 countries and for over eight months I cannot find two countries that have applied the same measures.

“I think it is a miserable failure of governments and it’s a miserable failure of politics. It’s a miserable failure of the whole system.”

In addition, Váradi said, the “various political agendas” have been leading governments’ responses, rather than tackling the health crisis.

“Measures like closing borders or putting people into quarantines just because they were flying from one place to another have nothing to do with a pandemic; these are political measures,” Váradi said.

“What is the difference between someone flying domestically and that person is not subject to any of measures, but someone crossing the border would be? This is just politics.”

Váradi also claimed that government’s financial support for airlines is being misused because those carriers will not be able to focus on restructuring to become more efficient post-COVID.

He predicted that governments owning equity in carriers will lead to “long-term distortion” in the market and could come with higher charges as they seek to recoup their investment.

“All this money that has been put into the airline industry is simply a waste of money,” he said. “It’s not going to achieve pretty much anything other than keeping a few airlines alive, but these airlines will not be better coming out of the process.”

“They are protecting employment, because the government is requesting this, but this is actually conserving inefficiencies in the system.

“They are not renewing their fleets; actually they will be flying an ageing fleet in the future, much less efficient, much more costly. So you will see long term structural issues here.”

Photo credit: Wizz Air

 

(c) 2020 –  Routes Reconnected.

Canada Extends Travel Restrictions Into the New Year 2021

International travellers must have an essential reason to come to Canada

Published on November 30th, 2020 at 10:58am EST

Updated on December 1st, 2020 at 12:05pm EST

By Shelby Thevenot

Canadian travel restrictions will continue until January 21, 2021.

Canada’s border will be closed to foreign nationals who are coming for a non-essential reason. Border officials will turn away any traveller coming for reasons such as recreation, tourism, or entertainment.

The government is moving the date to align with travel restrictions imposed on U.S. travellers, according to a media release. Current travel restrictions are in place for U.S. travellers until December 21, and are likely to be extended.

Canada is also amending its order and creating a framework for considering applications from high-performance amateur sport organizations seeking to hold International Single Sport Events. Applicants would need to include written commitments of ongoing support from regional governments in order to be considered. They will also need a robust plan to protect public health and the health of participants. The government will be releasing additional information on the Department of Canadian Heritage’s web site.

Some people are already exempt from travel restrictions, such as:

  • Canadian citizens (including dual citizens) or permanent residents;
  • certain people who have been approved for Canadian permanent residence;
  • certain temporary foreign workers;
  • certain international students;
  • protected persons;
  • immediate family members of Canadians;
  • extended family members of Canadians;
  • people coming to Canada for compassionate reasons; or
  • anyone else who falls under the exemptions listed on the government’s webpage.

Originally, travel restrictions went into place from March 18 to June 30 in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus. Since then, they have been rolled over on a month-by-month basis.

In October, Canada eased travel restrictions on students, and extended family members.

The federal government is also allowing people to come to Canada for compassionate reasons, such as:

  • to be present during the final moments of life for a loved one, or to provide support or care for someone who is critically ill;
  • to provide medical support to a person who needs it; or
  • to attend a funeral, or end of life ceremony.

Before coming to Canada, compassionate travellers can fill out a an application to get limited release from quarantine before the 14 days are up.

Travellers to Alberta may also be able to get early release from quarantine.

The only other exemptions to the mandatory 14-day quarantine requirement are:

  • crew members;
  • people invited by the health minister to help with the COVID-19 response, and other healthcare workers;
  • members of visiting forces who are coming to work;
  • people coming to receive medical services within 36 hours of their arrival;
  • crossing the border in a trans-border community;
  • people crossing into Canada aboard a “vessel” for the purposes of research, as long as they stay on the vessel; and
  • other circumstances listed in the new Order in Council.

In all cases, Canadian border services officers have the final say on who gets to enter the country.

Canada has a separate order in place that has also limited cross border travel between it and the U.S. since March. This order was extended earlier this month.

 

Find out if you’re eligible for Canadian immigration. Contact TBS International for a FREE Canada Settlement Consultation

Contact TBS International @ +234 90 2919 3934

OR

Email: info@tourismtbs.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tourismtbsintl

Instagram: www.instagram.com/tourismtbsintl

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tourismtbsintl

 

© 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved

KLM CEO Reveals The Key To Aviation’s Recovery – Routes Reconnected

The Hub & Spoke structure will be key to Aviation’s recovery, KLM CEO says

By David Casey

Posted –

Pieter Elbers believes the hub-and-spoke model will be crucial to the restoration of long-haul passenger traffic.

Network airlines with efficient hub structures will be central to the aviation industry’s recovery and lead the rebuild of long-haul traffic, according to KLM CEO Pieter Elbers.

Speaking during a keynote interview as part of the Routes Reconnected conference program, he dismissed the suggestion that a rethink of the hub-and-spoke model might be necessary, believing that connecting traffic will return strongly once COVID-19 vaccines are available and passenger confidence returns.

Elbers explained that pre-pandemic point-to-point services to secondary long-haul markets would likely prove uneconomical over the coming years.

“Looking at the long-haul side, a lot of the thinner routes between midsize European cities and midsize US cities were established over the past few years—which were good economic years with solid demand,” he said.

“Obviously with the step back we are taking now, those routes can no longer sustain direct flights. Traffic is therefore going to be channelled through hubs. Within Europe it may be a bit different… but I believe that hub and spoke will lead that recovery trajectory.”

Elbers said that KLM operated between 60 and 70 long-haul destinations before the coronavirus outbreak and has resumed about 70%, including restarting services from its Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) hub to Chengdu (CTU) and Beijing Capital (PEK) in China.

He added that the SkyTeam alliance member would “fly wherever we can fly” when it comes to rebuilding its long-haul network—although some routes remain cargo-only, and flight frequencies would remain lower for some time.

Across KLM’s European network, the carrier served 80 to 90 destinations before the COVID-19 crisis and has restored about 90% of those destinations. However, capacity remains around 40 to 50% of pre-pandemic levels.

Although Elbers admitted that KLM is braced for “a pretty cold winter,” he said there has been cause for optimism in recent weeks given the positive news about coronavirus vaccines.

“We need to see how the Christmas break goes,” he said. “Clearly it will be very slow and very weak compared to pre-COVID, but at least it will be better than we had in November. I hope that after Christmas we can start building on the momentum we will see in the next couple of weeks.”

Elbers added that KLM plans to “step up capacity” on its long-haul network, mostly to places where the airline can connect to the networks of its partners. He also explained that the carrier’s approach to network planning would be “more agile, quicker and with more trial and error” than before the crisis began.

Photo credit: KLM

OSUN TOURISM: OSTOURSA HOSTS VIPs FOR FAMILIARIZATION TOUR OF OSUN TOURISTS & HERITAGE SITES

Osun Tourism Stakeholders’ Association, OStourSA, led by Capt Emmanuel Great of TBS International, officially hosted distinguished Guests and VIPs on a Familiarization Tour of Osun Tourist and Heritage Sites, during the recently concluded Launch of the Osun Tourism Masterplan last month November 19th.

As the grassroot tourism stakeholders’ association in the State with a very robust partnership with the Ministry of Culture & Tourism, State of Osun, the Association was tasked with the assignment of showing dignitaries (who joined the State Government for the launching ceremony) around certain tourists and heritage sites within Osogbo.

Among Dignitaries present for the Familiarization Tour are the DG, Centre For Black And African Arts & Civilization, CBAAC, Mrs Oluwabunmi Amao, (ably representing the Hon. Minister of Information & Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed), and her team; as well as the Honorable Commissioner of Culture & Tourism, Bayelsa State, Dr Iti Orugbani, and his team.

Among tourist attractions visited by the Dignitaries are the UNESCO Osun Osogbo Sacred Groove, Susan Wenger’s House (Adunni Olorisha), Centre for Black Culture & International Understanding, CBCIU, and the Genesis Art Gallery, among others, all in Osogbo, the Capital of Osun State.

The President of the Association, Capt Emmanuel Great of Tourism Business Synergies (TBS) International, while leading delegates on the tour used the occasion to reiterate that the Launch of the Osun Tourism Masterplan – Culture and Tourism For Sustainable Economy, CUTOSEC – Vision 30-30 by the Osun State Govt, and in partnership with Sterling bank, is a blessing to Osun Tourism, especially coming at a time that Covid19 has brought the spotlight on domestic tourism in Nigeria.

“Organizing this Familiarization Tour is a development that puts OStourSA at the very crux of her mission as a grassroot tourism stakeholders’ association in the State which remains committed to promoting and fast-tracking the development of Osun Tourism”, he remarked.

In her own remarks, the General Secretary, Queen Fisayo of QueMajestic Tours, maintained that the State Govt’s Vision 30-30 is a welcome development as it is in line with the Association’s vision 2030 which aims to make Osun a Top 5 Tourist Destination in Africa before 2030

Other Executives and members of the Association present at the launch include the Vice President, Mr Saheed Fakeye of The Visit Avenue; the Public Relations Officer, Mr Adesoji Omosebi of SOJ WORLDWIDE Blog and Information Officer, Miss Ayomide of Ayomide Travels