A global study to mark the start of the World Travel Market conference in London has identified seven emerging trends expected to have an impact on the way we travel during 2011.

The 2010 World Travel Trends Report, compiled by Euromonitor International for the World Travel Market and released on November 8, identified one idea for each of the seven regions, describing them as an insight into the big trends for the year to come.

The prediction for the Middle East was an upbeat assessment of Iraq, which Euromonitor says is experiencing a "tourism revival" that has seen the country's tourism ministry grow to more than 500 employees.

Reopening of routes by European airlines is likely to drive further growth, both in the Kurdish north and religious destinations such as Najaf, while the report also suggests that cruise ships could call at Basra.

In Africa, Euromonitor praised the rapid growth of "space tourism" in South Africa as the country develops world-class space technology, saying that it could eventually develop space ports of the kind currently being built in the Americas as well as astro-tourism holidays.

"Deprivation holidays" are set to be all the rage in North America, tempting Americans and Canadians to ditch relaxing vacations for boot camp style resorts as travelers seek physically and mentally transformative experiences. Read More...

Its survey of more than 3,000 U.S. travelers found 36 percent plan to spend more on leisure travel in 2011 than they did in 2010, while 42 percent expect to spend the same amount. Ninety percent said they plan to take two or more leisure trips next year, up from 89 percent this year.

The top two travel concerns are: rising airfares (40 percent) and bedbugs (20 percent). However, airfares at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee continued to decline in the second quarter, according to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics, with lower fares driven by intense competition between low-fare carriers at Mitchell.

Among other findings, says The Business Journal:

• Sixty-nine percent of travelers plan to take international trips next year, and of that group, 52 percent will travel to Europe, 13 percent will visit Asia and 12 percent will journey to South America.
• Seventy-five percent plan to visit a U.S. city next year, with Las Vegas, New York City and San Francisco the most popular choices.
• Forty-seven percent are considering a stay in a vacation rental home - up from 39 percent one year ago.

By the end of 2011, 80 percent of business travelers surveyed predict they will take more or the same number of business trips than they did in 2010, with a similar number (79 percent) of respondents indicating that they will also spend moreor the same.  When asked how their 2010 travel levels would net out, the majority of these business travel survey respondents (71 percent) said they anticipated taking more or the same number of business trips. Only 29 percent of business travelers expected less travel in 2010.

"The travel industry was not immune to the economic slowdown, but the confidence demonstrated by business travelers who responded to our survey suggests a brighter outlook for the industry as a whole," says Adam Weissenberg, vice chairman and tourism, hospitality and leisure sector leader, Deloitte LLP. Read More...

Coming Soon. New expanded California coverage on the CalTIA website www.caltia.org

Check out Members in the News to see what's happening in California Travel, Toursim and Hospitatility.

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REGISTRATION FOR THE 2011 CALIFORNIA TRAVEL SUMMIT (CTS) OPENS TODAY!
The 2011 California Travel Summit will bring together dynamic presenters, just-in-time education and incredible networking opportunities...you will hear and see it all...everything you need to reinvent and boost your business in these challenging times. Because of demand and size of our Summit, we are expanding and will now use the Pasadena Convention Center. A world class convention for the best of quality education and development for professionals in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality. Read More...

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SEAWORLD SAN DIEGO ANNOUNCES SEA TURTLE EXHIBIT FOR 2012

Up to 60 threatened or endangered sea turtles will be housed in a 300,000-gallon (1.1 million-liter) aquarium opening next summer. The attraction will also feature the "Riptide Rescue" ride, a gaming wall, touch-screen map, and displays about the impact of trash and pollution on sea turtles. Read More...

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DISNEYLAND RESORT HOLDS 'TOPPING OUT' CEREMONY FOR CARS LAND IN ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA

On Friday, workers positioned a steel beam on top of a structure that will become a mountain-like range in the 12-acre (5-hectare) Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. It is the tallest point in the 280,000-square-foot (26,013-square-meter) "Cadillac Mountain Range," which is the backdrop for the "Radiator Springs Racers" ride. It is the largest rockwork structure at any U.S. Disney park. Read More...

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A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for the $300 million project, which will create a new home for the 40-year-old science museum on waterfront piers. Oceanographic research vessels will be able to dock at the Exploratorium, which will eventually anchor a 9-acre (4-hectare) campus. Read More...

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO ATTENDANCE STILL SOARING
Attendance at Universal Orlando was up 36 percent in October from a year ago, as the popularity of the resort's Wizarding World of Harry Potter shows no signs of ebbing so far.

Universal revealed the monthly gain during a conference call earlier this month to discuss its performance for the July-through-September quarter - which, thanks to Potter, was the strongest quarter in the resort's 20-year history.

Universal said it set records in attendance, sales, operating profit and net profit during the third quarter. "The results clearly show the tremendous response that our exciting, new content is receiving," Universal's top finance executive, Tracey Stockwell, said during the call. "We are extremely excited about the remainder of 2010."

The Orlando Sentinel reports Universal is hoping for an extra boost this week when the second-to-last Harry Potter movie - " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" - opens in theaters. Read More...

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Figures released Wednesday show that the 11 casinos took in $284 million in revenue from the slot machines and table games in October, a 12.3 percent decline from the same month last year. Gaming revenue now has declined 26 months in a row, more proof that the nation's second-largest casino market continues to be hurt by the weak economy and competition from surrounding states.

However, reports pressofAtlanticCity.com, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission said there is some encouraging news: Atlantic City's nongaming attractions have been on the upswing, even though the gambling action has cooled.

"Recent reports have shown that people are spending more money on hotel rooms, meals and entertainment in casino hotels than ever before," Commission Chair Linda M. Kassekert said in a statement. "As Atlantic City evolves into a greater destination resort, more people are coming here for the other attractions the city has to offer - fine dining, great entertainment, top-notch hotels, spas, shops and the beach and Boardwalk." Read More...

The group issued a statement from President and CEO Joseph E. Spinnato October 25 to counter recent media reports that the city is suffering from a severe infestation of bed bugs.

"There is a misperception about a massive bedbug infestation in New York City hotels," said Spinnato. "The perception is simply wrong, triggered by reports of isolated incidents which have been professionally and thoroughly treated according to the most rigorous industry standard."

He also said that there has been an increase in bedbugs in America over the last several years which has had a "minimal impact on the vast majority of hotels."

According to The Independent several high profile NYC hotels made headlines earlier this year after it emerged that guests were taking legal action after being bitten, but concerns that bedbugs have spread beyond hotels have reportedly caused some travelers to cancel their visits, although this has been denied by authorities. Read More...

Caribbean News Digital reports the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that for the first seven months of 2010, 33.8 million international visitors traveled to the United States, a 12 percent increase over the same period in 2009. In July 2010, 6.3 million international visitors traveled to the United States, an increase of 15 percent over July 2009. July 2010 registered the tenth straight month of increases in U.S. arrivals.

International visitors spent $76.7 billion during the first seven months of 2010, 10 percent more than the same period in 2009. In July 2010, international visitors spent $11.6 billion, 18 percent more than in July 2009. July 2010 marks the seventh consecutive month of growth in monthly U.S. travel and tourism-related exports. Read More...

FLORIDA TALKS TRAILS TO TOUT NATURAL WONDERS

It might surprise a lot of people to learn that Florida actually has more to see than beaches and a place called Orlando where you go to visit Mickey Mouse and Shamu.

These have been the state's tourism lures since Disney moved south there a few decades back. But not terribly long ago, Florida was far better known as the United States' tropical paradise, with caverns, springs like Weeki Wachee with its famous mermaids, the Everglades, tropical birds, alligator farms, and a place called Marineland in old St. Augustine.

While a lot of the former quirky wonders of the state are gone, says Marketing Daily, Florida's tourism board is hoping to shed some new light on the state's natural attractions. Visit Florida, the state's marketing corporation for tourism, is pitching nature buffs with America's first state trails-tourism Web site. Read More...

Thalys, the high-speed rail service connecting Brussels with Paris, Amsterdam and Cologne, last week began taking reservations for private, onboard meeting rooms, available from Jan. 12, 2011 reports Business Travel News. Dubbed Le Salon, each room will include four large armchairs, a conference table, Wi-Fi access and power outlets.

"I'll have a Big Mac, French fries, Coke and a wedding for 50, please."

Yes, fast-food giant McDonald's is getting into the weddings business - initially, only at three restaurants in Hong Kong - with "McWeddings," Reuters recently reported.

Sure, McDonald's move doesn't have immediate implications for hotels; initially, McWeddings will most likely lure couples who considered restaurant weddings. But if the concept takes off, you never know. Many hotels - including economy hotels - rely on weekend weddings business for income.

The Golden Arches will play on cultural differences to put their Mc-twist on wedding traditions.

"Traditional weddings use cherries for the newlyweds to eat together and kiss. We will have French fries for them to kiss," the English-language newspaper South China Morning Post quoted Helen Cheung at McDonald's as saying.

Prices haven't yet been mentioned in local media reports, Reuters says, but it appears that customers will be able to order relatively fancy McWeddings. Read More...

The Toronto Sun reports that Canada is losing out on tourist dollars to its neighbor south of the border because of high taxes, fees and security costs, according to a new report from the country's main tourism bodies.

The National Travel and Tourism Coalition paper calls on the government to take action to help Canada regain its top 10 ranking in world tourism destinations. Canada has dropped from 8th place in 2002 to 15th last year, the coalition said.

"This is the fourth largest growing sector of the world economy and we're losing market share in an expanding pie," president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada David Goldstein said. More than 15.7 million overnight visitors came to Canada in 2009, spending $14.2 billion. The NTTC said its proposals would boost those visitor numbers by 5.7 million and generate an additional $5.2 billion in cash. Read More...

HOTEL 2020 REPORT REVEALS TRENDS AND PREDICTS FUTURE OF INDUSTRY

A new report, 'Hotels 2020: Beyond Segmentation,' developed by Fast Future Research and commissioned by Amadeus, has revealed the emerging behaviors and demands of the future hotel guest and what kinds of hotels maybe emerge in the industry's near future.

The report looks forward to a time where augmented reality, responsive guest environments and robots may become commonplace as guests demand greater personalization, increased comfort and more innovative experiences.The report also highlights the new hotel models that may emerge, including invitation-only hotels, hotels co-branded with luxury brands, white-label hotels and 'catch-all' hotel chains that will deliver one-star budget hotels through to six-star luxury properties. According to HotelWorldNetwork the survey was conducted with 600 respondents from around the world, of whom 42 percent work in the travel industry.

 

Among its key findings:

• Guests will be able to tailor every aspect of their hotel experience -- traditional customer segmentation is likely to die and will instead be replaced by personalized service spectrums and a 'total service model'. This will mean that guests of the future will be able to tailor every aspect of their experience including technology, hotel services, the bedroom, the journey, pricing and communications.

• The hotel of the future will be more personal, connected and responsive -- with changing guest requirements it is likely we will start to see hotels that cater for multiple needs and demands. We will start to see innovations such as intelligent furniture, personalized nutrition and responsive technologies that understand cognitive functions.

• Horizon scanning, anticipation and rapid implementation will become some of the hallmarks of successful hotel groups -- the report details the characteristics of successful hotel chains of the future including the ability to spot opportunities and threats, develop effective strategies and implement change programs quickly.

"This report delivers a compelling picture of the hotel of the future and how evolving guest preferences will impact hotel chains over the next decade," said Vic Pynn, Executive Vice President and head of Hotel IT, Amadeus Americas. "One thing is certain: the traditional view of how the hotel industry segments guests will need to evolve. We anticipate an ever-growing demand for personalization in all aspects of a guest's hotel stay. Intelligent and responsive technology will be critical in bringing this personalization to life. Amadeus is committed to helping our customers maximize their technology to transform their business and capitalize on the opportunities ahead." Read More...

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Now that it is wrapping up a $1 billion overhaul of its 3,400 hotels across the globe, Holiday Inn has turned its attention to its next project: redesigning and expanding its hotel bars to make them livelier.

The Wall Street Journal reports that at its annual conference for franchisees in Las Vegas this week, Holiday Inn parent InterContinental Hotels Group PLC unveiled a preliminary concept it calls the "social hub." The plan makes the bar the center of several Holiday Inn services, including the restaurant, game room and business center.

The social-hub plan is partly an effort to address an issue that has dogged midmarket, full-service hotel chains like Holiday Inn for years. These hotels, especially those with 150 or fewer rooms, often don't generate enough traffic to support full-scale, 24-hour food-service operations-at least not profitably.

It is also a response to the findings of a customer study that Holiday Inn conducted in 2007 and 2008, when it canvassed 10,000 midscale hotel guests in six major cities.

Among other things, the study found that frequent Holiday Inn guests-who are most often middle managers, route salespeople, entrepreneurs and government supervisors-want to be around other people rather than holed up in their rooms, Holiday Inn executives say. Read More...

CARNIVAL CRUISES MUST BAIL OUT ITS IMAGE
The buzz about Carnival Cruises continues, even though the damaged ship that caused hundreds to face several days of unsavory conditions is back in port.

For Carnival, it appears to be business as usual, with no mention of the incident on its Web site's main page. But the cruise line may have some work ahead to restore its image and entice passengers back on board.

 

"Carnival needs to create confidence among travel agents and passengers that it is taking steps to address the problem," says Henry H. Harteveldt, vice president and principal analyst, airline and travel research, Forrester Research. "They also need to make people who are holding reservations feel confident about their decision, to avoid cancellations. That's probably going to be best managed through PR and targeted communications, like email and direct mail." Read More...

 

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REPORT FINDS AIRLINES ADDING U.S. SEAT CAPACITY
The Associated Press reports airlines are adding passenger-carrying capacity on flights within the United States as the travel industry continues to recover from the recession.

 

A report Thursday from aviation research firm OAG said domestic capacity this month increased 3 percent compared with November 2009. Domestic capacity had been declining until it grew a modest 0.8 percent in August, according to OAG.

 

In recent months, most of the new seats available on U.S. airlines were concentrated on international routes, but that may be slowing. OAG said capacity growth on international flights to and from the U.S. slowed to 4 percent in November after hitting 6 percent in July.

 

Capacity is measured in available seat miles, or the number of miles flown multiplied by the number of seats on the plane. A 100-seat plane flying 100 miles would produce 10,000 available seat miles. Airlines increase capacity by adding flights or using larger planes. If airlines add capacity faster than the increase in travel demand, it leads to more empty seats. That in turn can force airlines to cut prices, which reduces their profit. Read More...

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More people took an Amtrak train in the last year than ever before, bringing in record ticket sales for the national rail service.

As is always the case, the most popular line is the heavily congested corridor from Boston to Washington, where the train can be faster than a car or airplane, if you calculate the trip from door to door. Ridership grew despite some robust competition from a new generation of intercity bus companies says NPR.

The Acela Express is the jewel in Amtrak's somewhat tarnished crown. It's sleek, fast and deluxe - offering Wi-Fi, work tables with electric plugs and leather reclining seats. It slices through nightmare traffic in a megalopolis - one that includes Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington - where one city's suburbs sprawl into another's.

Rod Norman, a banker who frequently travels between New York and Washington, used to prefer flying. But now he finds it too much of a hassle. "You got to get there, you have to wait for an hour and then frequently, on Fridays, specifically, travel between D.C. and New York is delayed," Norman says.

By taking the train, he can spend most of the travel time productively, rather than schlepping to and from a flight. That ability to get work done is contributing to Amtrak's ridership increase, according to Emmett Fremaux, head of marketing and customer service for Amtrak. Read More...

As the Transportation Security Administration scrambles to address vulnerabilities in procedures for screening cargo, it is facing growing criticism from travel industry groups over the escalating security measures for passengers.

In recent weeks, says The New York Times, representatives from the International Air Transport Association, the U.S. Travel Association, the Allied Pilots Association and British Airways have criticized the T.S.A., saying it adds intrusive and time-consuming layers of scrutiny at airport checkpoints, without effectively addressing legitimate security concerns.

The U.S. Travel Association, in fact, is worried that the more onerous screening process will discourage air travel.

"The system is broken, it's extremely flawed and it's absurd that we all sit back and say we can't do anything about it," said Geoff Freeman, executive vice president of the association. The group has convened a panel of transportation leaders to recommend a better way to balance security with a more efficient and honed screening process.

Travel industry representatives say they are primarily concerned that security procedures unnecessarily burden the vast majority of travelers and crew members. The government, they argue, should instead be using intelligence to develop a risk-based approach to screening passengers. Read More...