Etihad Airways will partner with Australian company Elenium Automation to trial new technology which allows self-service devices at airports to be used to help identify travellers with medical conditions, potentially including the early stages of Covid-19.
It will be the first airline to trial the technology, which can monitor the temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of any person using an airport touchpoint such as a check-in or information kiosk, a bag drop facility, a security point or immigration gate.
The technology can monitor the temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of any person using an airport touchpoint
The Elenium system will automatically suspend the self-service check-in or bag drop process if a passenger’s vital signs indicate potential symptoms of illness. It will then divert to a teleconference or alert qualified staff on site, who can make further assessments and manage travellers as appropriate.
In partnership with Amazon Web Services, Elenium has also developed ‘hands free’ technologies that enable touchless use of self-service devices through voice recognition, further minimising the potential of any viral or bacterial transmission.
Etihad will initially trial the monitoring technology at its hub airport in Abu Dhabi at the end of April and throughout May 2020, initially with a range of volunteers, and, as flights resume, outbound passengers.
Jorg Oppermann, vice president hub and midfield operations, Etihad Airways, emphasised that the technology is not diagnostic, rather it is an early warning indicator to help identify travellers who will require further professional assessment.
“We are testing this technology because we believe it will not only help in the current Covid-19 outbreak, but also into the future, with assessing a passenger’s suitability to travel and thus minimising disruptions. At Etihad we see this is another step towards ensuring that future viral outbreaks do not have the same devastating effect on the global aviation industry as is currently the case,” said Oppermann.
Aaron Hornlimann, CEO and co-Founder of Elenium Automation, said: “We believe this approach is a world first. Elenium has lodged patents for both the automatic detection of illness symptoms at an aviation self-service touchpoint, and touchless self-service technology at an airport. Combined, this would ensure health screenings can become standard across airports, without putting staff in harm with manual processes.
“The system would screen every individual, including multiple people on the same booking. The technology can also be retrofitted into any airport kiosk or bag drop or installed as a desktop system at a passenger processing point such as an immigration desk. We believe the introduction of touchless self-service and automated health screening will encourage passengers to return to travel sooner.”
From virtual museum tours to safari live streams, tourism boards and travel companies are getting creative to keep travel alive
Digital initiatives keep workers engaged and employed
A paradigm shift for the industry, as tourism businesses seek new ways to market their goods and services
One balmy April afternoon, against the backdrop of slightly overcast skies, a young male ranger drives an open safari jeep along a well-trodden, dusty trail at andBeyond Ngala Private Game Reserve. As he chaperones his guests deep into the African wilderness, he points out a pack of rare white lions here, a majestic-looking giraffe there, as his eager-beaver audience pepper him with questions.
Only that his audience is watching their host from behind a screen, while him, fielding queries in real-time via social media, in between regaling his guests with fascinating tidbits about wildlife. Midway, he marvels at the “unprecedented number of viewers” joining him on today’s virtual drive. “We have a whole new safari audience brought to us because of all the people stuck at home due to the coronavirus,” he muses.
andBeyond streams live safari scenes from South Africa to living rooms around the world
Enter the world of live streaming and virtual vacations, a craze which has spread as rapidly as the pandemic sweeping the globe.
The aforementioned game drive is birthed out of experiential luxury travel company andBeyond’s partnership with live wildlife broadcaster WildEarth to stream twice-daily game drives in real-time from andBeyond Ngala Private Game Reserve and Djuma Private Game Reserve in South Africa.
Hosted by expert field guides, the game drives will be streamed on the company’s website, as well as Facebook and YouTube channels, throughout April.
“Through these live streams, we hope to inspire, entertain, educate and bring the hope of travel back into the world’s lives, and inject some positivity in anticipation of when travel will rebound again,” said Nicole Robinson, CMO, andBeyond, who is leading the digital initiatives.
Since andBeyond launched the live safari feeds on April 1, its YouTube channel’s views have skyrocketed by 651 per cent, with 1,582 watch hours, according to Robinson.
As well, the organic reach of andBeyond’s Facebook page has seen a 130 per cent spike and 50 per cent increase in engagement, while their daily new followers have surged by 100 per cent, she added.
Virtual travel takes off
With social distancing forcing the temporary shutter of zoos, museums and tourist attractions, live streams and virtual tours allow these destinations to remain open virtually for business. At the same time, these creative endeavours are helping businesses to build their brands and customer base to ready for the rebound.
Thanks to these initiatives, virtual tourists worldwide are scaling mountains, exploring museums, and watching rockhopper penguins waddle around a Chicago aquarium – all from the comfort of their couch.
Amid its temporary closure, the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort in Thailand has started sharing twice-daily live streams of its elephant residents enjoying a bath in the Ruak River.
The on-site elephant camp is Anantara’s charitable arm, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), which was set up in 2006 to improve the plight of Thailand’s elephants. The streams are hosted by a team of veterinarians via GTAEF’s Facebook page.
Mark Thomson, senior director of public relations & communications, Minor Hotels, said: “Despite this unprecedented current challenge, we want to show that Thailand’s natural beauty, its unique culture, and the warmth of the Thai people are all still here and waiting for everyone to return when it’s safe to travel again.”
A crew member live streaming the elephant residents at Anantara Golden Triangle in northern Thailand
The live stream is one of several digital initiatives rolled out by the hotel group, under the hashtag #AnataraEscapism, to offer guests a dose of travel escapism amid the current Covid-19 gloom, with their properties worldwide sharing bite-sized video content across its social media channels.
Likewise, the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) is striving to keep interest in the destination alive by bringing together their ongoing marketing activities on all social media channels in a campaign dubbed #DiscoverGermanyFromHome.
The campaign will take consumers through a virtual experience of destinations in Germany across the 16 federal states.
“The most important aspect of virtual travel is to recreate authentic moments as much as possible. Running social media campaigns where the public can share images and experiences under one hashtag creates organic conversation around a destination,” said Annette Biener, director, marketing & sales South East Asia, GNTO.
The virtual tours are currently under development by the GNTB, and are slated for launch by mid-April, according to Biener.
She added: “While virtual tours may not recreate the full immersion experience one can get with physical travel, it provides an authentic representation of a destination. Experiential aspects can be more vividly showcased, and travellers can get a more customised preview of a destination, as compared to relying on just the recommendations and perspectives of third-party sources.”
Thanyapura Health and Sports Resort in Phuket streams free fitness classes
Getting in on the virtual action too is Thanyapura Health and Sports Resort in Phuket which recently launched a series of free twice-daily online fitness classes via live stream on its Facebook page to help viewers stay active, healthy and connected during this period. Led by Thanyapura coaches, the classes include HIIT workouts, Muay Thai, and yoga sessions.
Spearheading the initiative is Giulia Bossi, chief digital strategy and communication officer at Thanyapura, who said that such online classes allow the resort to showcase its coaches, acquire new fans and remain connected to members and guests.
“From a commercial point of view, we are building awareness for our brand, coaches and capabilities. When travel rebounds, we hope to be top of mind for people looking for an active and healthy holiday destination,” she said.
Bossi shared that within a week, the live-streaming fitness classes reached over 10,000 people per video, with many more sharing their videos. While there are plans to roll out more group classes and on-demand private classes to cater to growing demand, there are no plans to monetise these online programmes.
“For now, we are treating this as a CSR project,” Bossi said.
Before one assumes that the virtual move is only possible for deep-pocketed travel and tourism organisations, smaller players demonstrate that they too can innovate for survival.
Food Playground, which conducts food and cultural programmes for tourists and corporate groups in its cooking studios in Singapore, is taking its classes online for a fee. Managing director Daniel Tan shared that his company is also embarking on paid assignments in recipe development and culinary video production with French dairy company Elle & Vire, as part of a sponsorship deal.
Singapore heritage tour operator Jane’s Tours is also taking the digital route, with virtual tours and short videos. Business owner Jane Iyer is now working to create a repository of suggested web links or print literature related to featured attractions.
Online is the new lifeline
Amid the backdrop of mounting layoffs and furloughs, such digital initiatives are helping to sustain jobs during this downturn.
Bossi opined that Covid-19 is forcing organisations around the world to rethink their business, service, financial and delivery models, and there has been a huge migration from offline to online in virtually every industry globally.
“Online is now the lifeline for many brick-and-mortar businesses. We are no exception. Our coaches continue to coach and our marketing department continues to support those efforts. Online (services) cannot replace our resort business, but it can certainly mitigate the impact of Covid-19 and keep our staff engaged and employed,” she said.
Proving to be a game-changer, live streams and virtual tours look set to stay, even after Covid-19.
Bossi noted that disruptive events, like Covid-19, paradoxically create new business and market opportunities. “These live streams have clearly demonstrated that there is a demand for online classes and their value as a service and as a marketing channel. Ironically, we were looking at developing online classes later this year, but Covid-19 accelerated that initiative and that’s the silver lining here,” she said.
Echoing that sentiment, Robinson added: “These are uncertain times – even more than usual. It is now more important than ever to remain close to our guests and trade partners to have an understanding of how travellers’ mindsets are shifting.
“Our hope is that our live streams will inspire our guests to plan for their future travels and that they come and experience these magical landscapes for themselves in person again when travel rebounds.” – Additional reporting by Pamela Chow and Therese Tan
Malaysia’s hotels and tour operators are lamenting the limited assistance offered by the government’s latest economic stimulus package, which has dedicated an additional RM10 billion (US$2.3 billion) to lift SMEs impacted by the country’s movement control order (MCO).
The latest stimulus package is the third of its kind introduced by the government, following a RM250 billion package announced on March 27, and a RM20 billion stimulus rolled out in February.
Malaysia’s month-long lockdown would amount to more than RM1 billion in loss of revenue for hotels
In a special broadcast on April 6, prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin said SMEs and micro-businesses contributed 40 per cent to the nation’s economy and made up two-thirds of the country’s workforce.
He said the government will increase the allocation for the wage subsidy programme to RM13.8 billion, from the previously announced RM5.9 billion – an addition of RM7.9 billion. Those who will stand to benefit from the scheme are companies with local workers earning RM4,000 and below.
Providing a breakdown, he said that for companies that employ more than 200 people, the number of workers who will be eligible for the subsidy is 200, an increase from 100 previously.
For companies that employ between 76-200 employees, the company will receive a wage subsidy of RM800 for each worker. For companies that employ between 1-76 employees, the company will receive a wage subsidy of RM1,200 for each worker.
The aid comes with a condition that employers must retain their staff for at least six months.
Muhyiddin also urged money-lending institutions to offer a six-month moratorium on loan repayments starting this month, in the same move as local banks. Since April 1, local banks have been offering a moratorium or postponement of repayment up to six months to individuals and SMEs.
Industry chiefs have responded with calls for more precise help for their sectors.
Yap Lip Seng, CEO of Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH), said the blanket subsidy does not address the needs of industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic and that a stimulus package specifically aimed at tourism stakeholders is needed.
Yap said: “Tourism has been hit twice, if not, thrice as hard (by Covid-19) as compared to any other industry. A generic economic stimulus package that helps all is obviously not enough to keep tourism afloat.”
Yap shared that Malaysia’s hotel industry had lost nearly RM76 million in cancellation of bookings to date. In addition, the month-long MCO would amount to more than RM1 billion in loss of revenue for hotels.
He said: “Our survey shows average occupancy levels dropping to 25 per cent and less in the coming months, and we do not expect it to improve for at least another six months.
“In general, hotels are not expecting to make any profits with (current) occupancy rates lower than 40 per cent, depending on its business model; and Malaysia’s hotel industry is not on track to even reach 30 per cent (in occupancy levels) for 2020 if the (Covid-19) situation persists.
“In the past two weeks, the industry has already received reports of hotels closing down permanently due to economic pressure, and more might be forced to do the same over the next few months.”
MAH had earlier submitted its proposals to finance minister Zafrul Aziz, among others, suggesting a wage subsidy of minimum RM1,000 per employee with a monthly wage of less than RM4,000, or 50-80 per cent subsidy of whatever the employee is earning – a scheme implemented in the UK and Canada. For employees with monthly wages of RM4,000 to RM8,000, MAH proposed a 30 per cent subsidy for up to six months.
MAH had met with both the finance minister and the minister of tourism, arts and culture on March 31 to discuss aid needed to revive the tourism and hospitality industry.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents president, Tan Kok Liang, has also called for more assistance, including the suspension of mandatory contributions to the Employees Provident Fund for six months as well as deferment of taxes for 2019 and 2020 for individuals and companies.
Tan added that the government would need to do more to ensure leasing companies do their part. “Based on feedback, these leasing companies are reluctant to follow the moratorium as provided by financial institutions,” he said.
As the the tourism industry will take a longer period to recover, Tan hopes the government would “reassess the programme in six months or more”.
Capella Singapore has named Sherona Lau as executive assistant manager, sales and marketing.
She brings over 20 years of global industry experience to the luxury property on Sentosa island.
Prior to joining Capella, Lau served as vice president and partner at Shanghai Yu Ji Hospitality Consulting Company, where she advised luxury hospitality companies on their practices.
Hailing from Hong Kong, Lau began her career as a management trainee at the Yinhe Dynasty Intercontinental Hotel in China before joining The Peninsula Hotels for 13 years, holding various positions in sales and marketing at the regional office, The Peninsula Bangkok and in flagship hotel The Peninsula Hong Kong. She has also cut her teeth with other luxury brands such as The Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Her international sales and marketing experience was gained through stints in North America, Europe and Asia, where she actively participated in the resort, luxury and business segments.
Singapore’s Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced on April 6 that it will suspend operations at Terminal 2 for 18 months from May 1, 2020, due to steep decline in passenger traffic and slow recovery of air travel demand expected in the near term.
Moreover, operations at Terminal 4 have been scaled down considerably due to a “very small number of flights” serving the once-bustling transport hub, stated CAG in a press release. Should these remaining airlines choose to suspend or adjust their flight schedules, CAG will also consider temporarily suspending operations at T4.
Singapore’s Changi Airport Group to suspend operations at Terminal 2 for 18 months to cut costs
Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s executive vice president of airport management, said in a statement: “With airlines suspending flights in response to the sharply reduced travel demand, the consolidation efforts seek to help our airport partners during this difficult time. While the scale of our operations will be reduced in the near term, Changi Airport remains open to serve the airfreight and passenger flights that continue to operate.”
He assured that the airport “will have the flexibility” and will be “ready to ramp up operations quickly once the recovery takes place”.
Meanwhile, the suspension of operations at Terminal 2 will allow for the acceleration of its current expansion work from the previously scheduled 2024 to as early as 2023. CAG is in discussion with airport partners and concessionaires in the terminal regarding options available to them.
For now, CAG has waived all rentals for concessions operating in T4 for two months from March 24, 2020; and with its partners, is identifying retraining and redeployment opportunities for airport staff to protect as many jobs as possible during this downturn.
For example, ground handler SATS is sending staff for training courses to train them as airside drivers to support airlines. As well, CAG is partnering Certis Aviation Security to streamline and adjust the size of its operations, such as the deployment of security officers at pre-boarding security screening stations and at access control points to restricted areas.
Singapore Merlion devoid of tourists and locals in unprecedented Covid-19 times
The Singapore government will extend more financial support to help businesses and employees ride out the city-state’s month-long closure of non-essential workplaces – a “circuit breaker” measure which takes effect from April 7 until May 4, 2020.
The S$5.1 billion (US$3.6 billion) Solidarity Budget was announced by deputy prime minister and finance minister Heng Swee Keat in a parliament session today.
Singapore Merlion devoid of both tourists and locals as Covid-19 brings the economy to a standstill
In an unprecedented step, this marks the third round of measures the government has rolled out in under two months, following the S$6.4 billion (US$4.4 billion) Unity Budget in February, and the S$48.4 billion Resilience Budget last month.
The three stimulus packages comprise a stream of waivers and subsidies for businesses and employees to cushion the impact of Covid-19.
The Solidarity Budget includes increased wage subsidy for all companies in all sectors to 75 per cent of gross monthly wages, for the first S$4,600 of wages paid in April, for each employee. This overwrites the range of 25-75 per cent in the previously announced Resilience Budget, under which the aviation and tourism sectors were provided the highest tier of wage subsidies.
“I expect firms to make use of this Jobs Support Scheme to continue paying your workers and refrain from putting workers on no-pay leave during this period, or worse, retrenching them,” urged Heng.
Companies that hire foreign workers on work permits and S-passes will also have their monthly foreign worker levy due in April waived. Employers will soon also receive a foreign worker levy rebate of S$750 for each work permit or S-pass holder.
Singapore’s Ministry of Law will introduce a Bill on April 7 to allow businesses and individuals to temporarily defer certain contractual obligations such as paying rent, repaying loans or completing work. The Bill will also ensure property owners pass on the property tax rebate in full to tenants.
In addition, the government will bring forward the S$300 Care and Support Cash package announced earlier, and provide an additional S$300, bringing the total to S$600 for every Singaporean adult above the age of 21. Singaporeans can expect a payout from as early as April 14.
Heng wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday: “The Covid-19 situation has taken a very sharp turn, both globally and locally. Strong measures have to be taken to protect lives, but the economy has taken a hit as a result.”
Singapore’s overall GDP growth will dive further amid stricter restrictions to fight the pandemic, projected Heng. He shared that the government’s response to Covid-19 will ring up to S$59.9 billion, or about 12 per cent of Singapore’s GDP. The overall budget deficit for FY2020 will increase to S$44.3 billion, or 8.9 per cent of the GDP.
As of April 5, the number of infection cases in Singapore stood at 1,309, including 116 new local cases and four new imported cases.
Langham Hospitality’s Group is rolling out staycation packages at 13 properties across its two brands — The Langham Hotels & Resorts and Cordis Hotels — to spur domestic travel within mainland China.
Bookings must be made between April 1 and August 31, 2020 for staycations that fall within these dates, though blackout dates apply.
Langham offers staycation packages at 13 properties, including Cordis Dongqian Lake Ningbo (above)
Offers rolled out are given four package names depending on the hotel’s brand name and length of stay. Packages targeting shorter- and longer-stay guests at The Langham Hotels & Resorts’ properties are termed Wellness Retreats and Linger Extra Longer, respectively. Meanwhile, similar packages at the Cordis Hotels’ properties are coined Family Getaways and Extended Staycations.
All packages include complimentary breakfast, a 20 per cent discount on dining experiences, and flexible check-in and check-out arrangements. Longer-stay discount packages will also include 30 per cent off laundry and dry-cleaning services.
Room rate discounts vary based on the length of stay. Guests staying more than five days will enjoy a 25 per cent discount on the best available room rates, while those on shorter stays will receive a 20 per cent discount.
Guests have to make room rate payments upfront for the entire stay and they are non-refundable.
Participating properties under The Langham Hotels & Resorts brand include The Langham, Hong Kong; The Langham Shanghai, Xintiandi; and Langham Place, Xiamen.
Meanwhile, Cordis hotels at which the offer will be rolled out are Cordis, Hong Kong; Cordis, Shanghai, Hongqiao; and Cordis, Dongqian Lake, Ningbo.
Guests can make reservations directly through the hotels’ websites and may be able to reach certain hotels on WeChat for more details.
Indonesian hotels are being pushed to the brink of collapse, and disintegrating further by the day, as the central government neglects to answer their call for tax holidays and further financial assistance to cushion the fallout of Covid-19, according to association leaders.
The outbreak, which has infected 2,273 people and killed 198 in the country as of April 5, has triggered mass layoffs and forced hotel closures, no thanks to plummeting demand amid lockdowns worldwide aimed at curbing the virus.
The ongoing Covid-19 crisis pushes Indonesia’s tourism sector deeper into the doldrums, forcing the closure of nearly 700 hotels across the archipelago, including at least 50 in Bali; aerial view of luxury hotel in Ubud, Bali pictured
Nearly 700 hotels across the archipelago have shut down, according to Maulana Yusran, deputy head of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI).
He said that the outbreak hit the industry so severely that occupancy rate had plunged to below two per cent as of April 5, prompting a wave of mass layoffs, and hoteliers worry that more are to come if they did not receive tax waivers and immediate financial assistance from the government.
“The PHRI expects the government (to waive temporarily) the income taxes of workers and companies. Hotels have already incurred financial losses due to the sharp decline in occupancy. Employees have also already taken unpaid leave and their salaries have also been cut,” said Maulana.
The body also hopes that the central government will instruct regional governments to temporarily exempt hotels from paying land and building taxes, allow them to defer health insurance premiums for employees, as well as give them a discount of up to 50 per cent for electricity bills.
Such requests have been conveyed by PHRI through multiple letters to president Joko Widodo and the relevant ministries.
Maulana bemoaned the fact that hotels and restaurants have been overlooked in the government’s stimulus package totalling 405.1 trillion rupiah (US$24.5 billion) that was launched last week through regulation in lieu of law to shore up the coronavirus-battered economy.
Of the package, the government will allocate 75 trillion rupiah for medical needs, 110 trillion for social safety, 70.1 trillion for tax incentives and credit for businesses, as well as 150 trillion for recovery programmes for SMEs.
In response to being left out in the cold, Maulana said that PHRI would be sending an additional letter to the president and relevant ministers to address the hotel sector’s financial woes.
“It seems that we have to fight very hard (to get the government’s assistance). I understand that it’s a very sensitive issue and it has massive implications. But I hope that the government will focus on helping employees first,” he said.
I Made Ramia Adnyana, deputy chairman of Indonesian Hotel General Manager Association (IHGMA), said that he had spoken to Wishnutama Kusubandio, minister of tourism and creative economy, in a web meeting with his association, after the president issued the regulation in lieu of law last week.
During the meeting, he said, the minister told IHGMA that he had voiced the concerns of industry players to the president and Sri Mulyani, minister of finance. When asked why the tourism sector was left out in the cold in the government’s regulation, Wishnutama said that their requests will be followed up by the minister (Sri Mulyani) and president.
Made also said that he was waiting on the government to implement the six-month tax exemption that was promised to hotels and restaurants situated in Indonesia’s 10 priority destinations.
In early March, Airlangga Hartanto, coordinating economic minister, announced that the government would grant regional governments 3.3 trillion rupiah to compensate for the loss in tax revenues caused by the tax exemptions given to hotels and restaurants.
However, that promise has yet to materialise, according to Made.
In Bali alone, Made said, at least 50 hotels have temporarily closed. To date, layoffs in those hotels have yet to happen, but many employees have been sent home and had their salaries cut. If the government fails to act, there will be massive layoffs in Bali, he added.
He added that during the meeting with Wishnutama, the minister said that he would convey the trade’s concerns to the minister of finance and president, and strive to fulfil the industry’s demands to prevent layoffs.
Okinawa Prefecture’s tourism industry is set to receive an economic boost as part of the Japanese government’s upcoming stimulus measures to counter coronavirus fallout.
During a meeting with visiting representatives of local tourism, business and financial industries in the prefectural capital, Naha, chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga pledged “large-scale assistance” to help Okinawa “achieve a V-shaped recovery after the virus is contained.”
Covid-19 cripples Okinawa’s tourism sector; tourists posing in front of the Shureimon gate of the Shurijo castle in Okinawa pictured
In recent years, Okinawa had seen a tourism boom, breaking its own tourism records every year for six consecutive years, until last year, according to a report in The Asahi Shimbun.
In fiscal 2018, arrivals reached 10 million, of which three million came from overseas, and tourism revenues hit 734 billion yen (US$$6.8 billion), it added.
The continued surge in visitation, coupled with the expectation of a new runway at Naha Airport that opened last month, prompted a spike in the development of hotels, eateries and other tourism-related businesses in Japan’s southern island prefecture.
However, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to Okinawa’s tourism-reliant economy, particularly since the Chinese government’s ban on overseas group travel came into effect in February.
In February, the Okinawan prefectural government recorded only 61,000 foreign tourist arrivals, a fall of 75 per cent year-on-year. Visitor arrivals from mainland China plummeted 99 per cent, while those from South Korea fell by 90 per cent.
The lull is expected to continue in the short term, especially with the suspension of all outbound international flights.
The tourism slump has been keenly felt by industry players. Hotels in Naha and Onna village report that room occupancy for March has dropped to 20 per cent, from 40 to 60 per cent during the same period in previous years.
Other businesses are also feeling the strain. In February, duty-free chain Laox closed its Naha store following a steep decline in sales and, in late March, Naha-based rental car company New Step declared bankruptcy.
Yasu Kochi, a MICE coordinator at the Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau, told TTG Asia that 17 corporate events scheduled up to July 2020 have been cancelled, while organisers of events slated to take place later in the year are considering their options.
The bureau is assessing the situation facing tourism players to decide what strategy it should put in place to support tourism across the archipelago, she added.
The Covid-19 crisis has left the global aviation industry reeling, in the wake of unprecedented capacity cuts across the world, leading to a 77 per cent collapse in global aviation year-on-year, found a report by ForwardKeys.
In the first week of April, international airline seat capacity fell to just 23 per cent of what it was during the same time last year. Just 10 million seats were still in service to facilitate essential travel, compared with 44.2 million a year ago.
The coronavirus outbreak has led to a collapse in air travel; aerial overview of multiple aircraft at Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX Airport pictured
In 1Q2020, airline seat capacity is 9.4 per cent down, with 482 million seats in service, compared with 532 million in the same period last year.
Despite an uptick in capacity at the start of January, compared to last year, it started to fall during the last week of the month when the Chinese government announced restrictions on outbound travel.
Following after until mid-March, air capacity fell substantially, and tumbled precipitously to the end of the month.
Olivier Ponti, vice president Insights, ForwardKeys, said: “Governments have closed entire countries; and in response, the airline industry has cut services to the bone. It is likely that when we get to the other side of the pandemic, things won’t return to the vibrant market conditions we had at the start of the year, anywhere near as easily as some people imagine.
“By then, it is possible that a number of airlines will have gone bust; consumers will have lost confidence in flying and uneconomic discounts will be necessary to attract demand back.”
The top ten airlines still operating in the first week of April (March 30 to April 5) are KLM, with 800,000 seats still in service; Qatar Airways, with nearly 500,000 seats in service; and Ryanair, with 400,000.
They are followed in descending order by Delta, Air France, American, BA, Wizz Air, Cathay Pacific and Jeju. However, this picture will change soon, as Ryanair recently announced that almost its entire fleet will be grounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.
