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Articles

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index Rebounded in July

7/30/2019

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The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® rebounded in July, following a decrease in June. The Index now stands at 135.7 (1985=100), up from 124.3 in June. The Present Situation Index – based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions – increased from 164.3 to 170.9. The Expectations Index – based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business and labor market conditions – increased from 97.6 last month to 112.2 this month.

“After a sharp decline in June, driven by an escalation in trade and tariff tensions, Consumer Confidence rebounded in July to its highest level this year,” said Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board. “Consumers are once again optimistic about current and prospective business and labor market conditions. In addition, their expectations regarding their financial outlook also improved. These high levels of confidence should continue to support robust spending in the near-term despite slower growth in GDP.”

The monthly Consumer Confidence Survey®, based on a probability-design random sample, is conducted for The Conference Board by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and analytics around what consumers buy and watch. The cutoff date for the preliminary results was July 18.

Consumers’ assessment of present-day conditions improved in July. Those claiming business conditions are “good” increased from 37.5 percent to 40.1 percent, however, those saying business conditions are “bad” also increased slightly, from 10.6 percent to 11.2 percent. Consumers’ appraisal of the job market was also more favorable. Those saying jobs are “plentiful” increased from 44.0 percent to 46.2 percent, while those claiming jobs are “hard to get” declined from 15.8 percent to 12.8 percent.

Consumers were more optimistic about the short-term outlook in July. The percentage of consumers expecting business conditions will be better six months from now increased from 19.1 percent to 24.0 percent, while those expecting business conditions will worsen declined from 12.6 percent to 8.7 percent.

Consumers’ outlook for the labor market was also more upbeat. The proportion expecting more jobs in the months ahead increased from 17.5 percent to 20.5 percent, while those anticipating fewer jobs decreased from 13.9 percent to 11.5 percent. Regarding their short-term income prospects, the percentage of consumers expecting an improvement increased from 20.5 percent to 24.7 percent, while the proportion expecting a decrease declined from 7.5 percent to 6.3 percent.
Source: July 2019 Consumer Confidence Survey®

The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what’s ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org.

About NIELSEN
Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers watch and buy. Nielsen's Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services for all devices on which content — video, audio and text — is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry's only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen also provides its clients with analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90 percent of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.
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Virgin Atlantic to drop service between London Gatwick and Saint Lucia in 2020.

7/26/2019

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John Grant, Partner at MIDAS Aviation, notes that Virgin Atlantic’s announcement that they will drop services to St Lucia has probably come after a serious game of airline/destination poker as the requirement of an inevitable revenue guarantee that supports such services came around for renegotiation. But with St Lucia also served by British Airways is this a case of pragmatic acceptance by Virgin that perhaps a three times weekly service just wasn’t worth the investment and ensuring a daily service crucial.
 
As the table below shows, St Lucia was hardly a Caribbean star for Virgin Atlantic. On a revenue per hour basis the LGW – UVF service has been the poorest performing sector to the Caribbean for Virgin by some distance and whilst US$ 16.7 million route revenue is not to be dismissed, the contribution would seemingly always require some form of subsidy and support.
  
Table 1 – Virgin Atlantic Selected Caribbean Route Revenues May 2018 – April 2019

Source: OAG Traffic Analyzer
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And interestingly with some US$14.5 million of the route revenue being generated from the UK area of sale and only US$ 821,468 from St Lucia that amounts to around US$ 2,053 originating from the destination market each flight; equivalent to around 3 passengers!
 Ultimately though the real winner in this announcement is probably British Airways; whilst Thomas Cook currently operate a notional service it places BA in an extremely strong position in future negotiations around route support. So just how are BA doing at the moment?
Comparatively BA appear to be generating around 10% more revenue per hour but, and very importantly, even in the BA network St Lucia is amongst the poorest contributors suggesting perhaps that there may be a case for reduced frequency even once Virgin have disappeared in an attempt to move their yields slightly higher.
Table 2 – British Airways Selected Caribbean Route Revenues May 2018 – April 2019: Source OAG Traffic Analyzer

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And whilst for BA some 72% of revenues (US$ 23.8 million) are generated from the UK area of sales; offline sales from areas such as Germany (US$ 2.8 million), Sweden, Italy and Ireland provide network contributions that Virgin Atlantic just cannot realise. 
Ultimately it may well be that St Lucia, at least from an air service perspective, has been very lucky and over supplied with capacity from the United Kingdom in the last few years, and that consequently something had to give. However, when any market, or indeed destination where tourism is such a key industry, becomes reliant on just one airline for the majority of its capacity and where route subsidies have become a way of life, you have to wonder how the next discussion between BA and the St Lucia authorities will begin!
But that may be a jerk assessment of what’s just happened!

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Global Passenger Traffic growth remains resilient despite economic slowdown.

7/23/2019

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Airports Council International (ACI) World reports that global passenger traffic continued to grow in May 2019 while the air freight market fell again.

The global passenger market gained +3.1% in May, up from +2.9% in April, with a year-to-date growth figure of +3.6%. International traffic was the major contributor to this growth, but domestic passenger growth was also up against the previous year.

“Global passenger traffic has continued to grow with data for May showing an upswing in growth as compared to April,” ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said. “The global economy entered a period of slowdown during this time, however, which contributed to the continued weakening in the air freight industry.

“With economic tensions between Japan and South Korea flaring, and the United States standing firm on its protectionist trade practices, the air transport industry continues to face a challenging year.”

ACI collects and analyses data from a significant sample of airports that provide regular reports on month-by-month passenger and freight statistics; this forms part of the world’s most comprehensive source for airport data.

Passenger traffic:
After a slower month in April (+0.6%), the domestic passenger market gained +2.7% in May on a year-over-year basis. Year-to-date growth rose to +2.9% for the segment. The international market grew +3.6% during the month, reaching +4.6% on a year-to-date basis.

North America’s passenger market grew +4.3% during the month, reaching +4.1% on a year-to-date basis. Both passenger segments in the region have been relatively robust, with international passenger traffic growing by +5.2% and domestic traffic gaining +3.9% for the first five months of the year.

Europe grew +3.1% in May, down from +4.8% in April. The region’s year-to-date result was equal to North America’s figures by the month’s end, at +4.1%. The impact of the international passenger market was significant for the region, growing at +5.2% versus +1.3% for the domestic segment on a year-to-date basis.

Asia-Pacific’s passenger market recovered in May, posting +1.8% after declining by -1% in April. The region’s year-to-date growth rate stood at +2.3%, the lowest of the three major regional markets. The slowdown was mostly driven by an ailing domestic market. After declining by -3.9% in April, it recovered enough to gain +0.6% in May. The segment’s year-to-date growth was +1.3% by the month’s end, three percentage points below its international market.
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The Latin America-Caribbean region posted the highest year-over-year growth in May, at +6%. The region’s passenger market, along with Africa’s, has mostly been resisting the slowdown observed in the four other regions since the start of the year. Its year-to-date results stood at +5.6%. Africa’s recent success suffered a sudden shift during the month, its year-over-year growth falling to +0.8% after an +8% increase in April. Year-to-date growth remained robust, however, at +6.1%. The Middle East declined by -0.1% on a year-over-year basis in May, down more than three percentage points from April’s +3.3%. Its year-to-date stood at +1.6%, the lowest of all regions.
 
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Hawaii’s hotels saw room occupancy improve by 1.6 percentage points in June to 84.1%.

7/23/2019

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According to the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), the month of June saw RevPAR statewide grow to $236 (+4.2%), with ADR at $280 (+2.2%) and occupancy of 84.1 percent (+1.6 percentage points).
HTA’s Tourism Research Division issued the report’s findings utilizing data compiled by STR, Inc., which conducts the largest and most comprehensive survey of hotel properties in the Hawaiian Islands.

In June, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues statewide increased 2.5 percent to $382.4 million. There were approximately 3,800 more occupied room nights (+0.3%) and nearly 27,000 fewer available room nights (-1.6%) compared to a year ago). Several hotel properties across the state were closed for renovation or had rooms out of service for renovation during June. However, the number of rooms out of service may be under-reported.

Luxury Class properties led in growth of RevPAR at $443 (+10.4%) in June, which was driven by increases in occupancy to 80.9 percent (+6.6 percentage points) and ADR to $548 (+1.5%). Midscale & Economy Class hotels reported RevPAR of $142 (-3.2%) with ADR at $174 (-1.0%) and occupancy of 81.8 percent (-1.8 percentage points).

In June, Maui County hotels reported the highest RevPAR of all four counties at $318 (+8.1%), which was supported by increases in ADR to $394 (+3.3%) and occupancy of 80.9 percent (+3.6 percentage points).

The performance of O‘ahu hotels in June was similar to a year ago, with RevPAR of $213 (+0.9%), ADR at $243 (+0.9%), and no change in occupancy of 87.9 percent.

Hotels on the island of Hawai‘i saw increases in RevPAR to $196 (+17.2%), ADR to $250 (+5.7%), and occupancy to 78.7 percent (+7.7 percentage points) in June compared to a year ago. In May 2018, Kīlauea volcano started erupting in lower Puna, which contributed to a downturn in visitors to the island of Hawai‘i in succeeding months.

RevPAR for Kaua‘i hotels fell to $211 (-7.5%) in June, with declines in both ADR to $279 (-3.9%) and occupancy to 75.7 percent (-3.0 percentage points).

Average room occupancy fell by 1.6 percentage points in the first six months of 2019 to 80.7%.

Through the first six months of 2019, the HTA reported that statewide RevPAR declined by 1.1% to $226, with ADR growing by 0.9% to at $280. Average room occupancy fell by 1.6 percentage points to 80.7% in the first half of 2019.

For the first half of 2019, Hawai‘i hotel room revenues decreased by 2.6 percent to $2.21 billion. There were about 150,000 fewer available room nights (-1.5%) and more than 284,000 fewer occupied room nights (-3.5%) compared to the first half of 2018. Several hotel properties across the state were closed for renovation or had rooms out of service for renovation during the first half of 2019.

Luxury Class properties reported RevPAR of $429 (-1.1%), with ADR at $560 (-0.7%) and occupancy of 76.6 percent (-0.3 percentage points). Midscale & Economy Class hotels reported RevPAR of $145 (-5.8%), with ADR at $176 (-1.7%) and occupancy of 82.0 percent (-3.6 percentage points).

Comparison to Top U.S. Markets
In comparison to other top U.S. markets, hotels in the Hawaiian Islands earned the highest RevPAR at $226 for the first half of 2019, followed by San Francisco/San Mateo at $208 (+8.1%) and New York City at $197 (-3.8%). Hawai‘i also led the U.S. markets in ADR at $280, followed by San Francisco/San Mateo at $256 (+8.7%) and New York City at $237 (-1.8%). The Hawaiian Islands ranked third for occupancy at 80.7 percent, with New York City topping the list at 83.4 percent (-1.7 percentage points).

Hotel Results by County
Through the first six months of 2019, Maui County hotels led Hawai‘i’s four island counties in RevPAR at $316 (+0.8%), with ADR at $402 (+0.8%) and no change in occupancy at 78.6 percent.

O‘ahu hotels earned slightly lower RevPAR of $194 (-0.5%), with ADR at $233 (+0.9%) and occupancy of 83.3 percent (-1.2 percentage points).

Kaua‘i hotels’ RevPAR decreased to $213 (-10.0%), with declines in both ADR to $288 (-1.0%) and occupancy of 74.1 percent (-7.4 percentage points).

Hotels on the island of Hawai‘i reported a decline in RevPAR to $206 (-4.1%), with decreases in both ADR to $267 (-0.4%) and occupancy of 77.0 percent (-3.0 percentage points).

Comparison to International Markets
When compared to international “sun and sea” destinations, Hawai‘i’s counties ranked among the top 10 markets for RevPAR in the first half of 2019. Hotels in the Maldives ranked highest in RevPAR at $414 (+5.0%), followed by French Polynesia at $351 (+9.1%). Maui County ranked third, with Kaua‘i, the island of Hawai‘i, and O‘ahu ranking fifth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

The Maldives also led in ADR at $590 (+0.8%), followed by French Polynesia at $539 (+2.4%). Maui County ranked third. Kaua‘i, the island of Hawai‘i, and O‘ahu ranked sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.

O‘ahu led in occupancy for sun and sea destinations in the first half of the year, followed by Maui County, Aruba (78.5%, +2.4 percentage points), the island of Hawai‘i, and Kaua‘i.

Tables of hotel performance statistics, including data presented in the report are available for viewing online at: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/research/infrastructure-research/

About the Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report

The Hawai‘i Hotel Performance Report is produced using hotel survey data compiled by STR, Inc., the largest survey of its kind in Hawai‘i. The survey generally excludes properties with under 20 lodging units, such as small bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, single-family vacation rentals, cottages, individually rented vacation condominiums and sold timeshare units no longer available for hotel use. The data has been weighted both geographically and by class of property to compensate for any over and/or under representation of hotel survey participants by location and type.
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For June 2019, the survey included 159 properties representing 48,173 rooms, or 89.2% of all lodging properties with 20 rooms or more in the Hawaiian Islands, including full service, limited service, and condominium hotels.

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Cuba sees tourism dropping 8.5% due to Trump travel restrictions.

7/11/2019

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HAVANA (Reuters) - Tourism to Cuba will likely drop 8.5% this year in the wake of tighter U.S. restrictions on travel to the Caribbean island, the government said on Thursday, and the decline in arrivals will further hurt Cuba's already ailing centrally planned economy.

A boom in tourism over the last few years has helped offset weaker exports and a steep decline in aid from key ally Venezuela that has forced the government to take austerity measures like cutting imports.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to squeeze that hard currency revenue stream too as part of its attempt to force the Communist government to reform and stop supporting Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro.

Last month it banned cruise ships and private planes and yachts from traveling to the island and ended a heavily used educational category of travel allowed as an exemption to the overall ban on U.S. tourism.

"These measures sparked a 20.33% reduction in tourist activity," Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero was quoted as saying by state news agencies in a speech to the National Assembly.

The minister estimated 4.3 million people would visit Cuba this year, down from the goal of more than 5 million, and 4.7 million last year.

Looser restrictions on U.S. travel to Cuba under former President Barack Obama, the re-establishment of diplomatic relations and commercial flights and cruises had caused a spike in U.S. visits to the country.

U.S. travelers excluding Cuban-Americans became the second- biggest group of tourists on the island in recent years after Canadians, with cruise travelers accounting for half of them.

But Trump has rolled back much of Obama's detente and taken additional measures to punish the economy and government.

Marrero noted the Trump administration's decision in April to allow U.S. lawsuits against foreign companies deemed to be "trafficking" in properties in Cuba nationalized after Cuba's 1959 revolution was also affecting the tourism sector.

Several hotel operators and a unit of online travel agency Expedia have been targeted with lawsuits.

Cubans working in the tourism sector complain that while the policy targets the government, they are the ones who suffer.
"Our income has dropped by 80 percent," said Carlos Cristobal Marquez, owner of the private restaurant San Cristobal, where Obama dined on his historic trip to Havana in 2016.

"Many restaurants will have to close, while others will have a hard time. Trump has said he wants to support the private sector, but he isn't," he said.

Marrero said the country would continue to develop the tourism sector regardless of the U.S. measures. It is planning new dolphinariums and the country's first amusement park, for example.

Cranes tower around Havana at the construction sites of what are to be the city's first generation of luxury hotels, in a bid to attract a new type of client.

Cuba, which receives just two-thirds of the visitors that neighboring Dominican Republic does although it is twice as large, has traditionally focused on resort tourism or travelers on a medium budget.

José Luis Perelló, a former University of Havana professor who studies Cuba's tourism industry, said the country should not take short-term shifts in U.S. policy too much into account in the long-term development of its tourism industry.
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"A large part of the revenues we use weekly... comes from tourism," President Miguel Diaz-Canel told the National Assembly. "For this reason, we must continue betting on the development of tourism."
 

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MMGY Global’s Portrait of American Travelers Survey Reveals Significant Shifts in What Is Influencing Travelers Most. Changing priorities are impacting how and why Americans travel.

7/11/2019

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MMGY Travel Intelligence, MMGY Global's research and insights company, recently released the findings of its 2019-2020 Portrait of American Travelers® survey - the 29th annual edition of the acclaimed study.

The results paint a picture of rapidly changing priorities amongst travelers, driven by
  • growing concerns over safety,
  • the quick adoption of the new sharing economy and
  • a more conscientious approach to travel.
The world is changing quickly and, as a result, how and why Americans travel is too.

While priorities are being reassessed, travelers intend to spend about the same on travel in 2019 ($5,025) as they report having spent in 2018 ($5,038). And while they plan to take slightly fewer vacations (3.2 in 2019 vs. 3.5 in 2018), travelers anticipate spending 17% more than they did at this same point in 2018. This is in part a reflection of a shift in the age of those who are most likely to travel in the coming year.

"While there may be some economic clouds on the horizon that could slow down travel spend, we see signs of cautious optimism among travelers in the near term - but not from the generations from whom we have seen historic growth in the past," said Chris Davidson, EVP, MMGY Travel Intelligence. "Instead of a younger audience, it's Gen X and Boomer travelers who are driving this optimism when it comes to anticipated spending in the next 12 months."

The following are highlights from this year's study.
Today's traveler is influenced in many different ways. There are more choices, more information and more complex motivations for how, why and where people choose to travel. Some of the more recent factors affecting these decisions are concerns about tourism overcrowding, climate change and its impact on destinations, and how travel service providers demonstrate responsibility in addressing these new challenges.

Overtourism: Sixty percent (60%) of American travelers believe tourism overcrowding will have a significant impact on destinations they choose to visit within the next 5-10 years.

Climate Change: Forty-eight percent (48%) of travelers agree that climate change will have a significant influence on what destinations they want to visit in the next 5-10 years.

Corporate Responsibility:Thirteen percent (13%) of American travelers indicate they have selected a travel service provider based on perceptions of sustainability and environmental considerations during the past 12 months, up from 8% in 2018. Millennial families are driving this increase.

Corporate responsibility creates brand loyalty. Sixty-two percent (62%) of travelers indicate corporate responsibility as a reason for loyalty to airlines, with 60% believing the same for hotels.

Embracing the Sharing Economy
The sharing economy continues to disrupt the travel industry, and its growing appeal shows no signs of slowing down. The percentage of American travelers using sharing economy accommodations increased 45% in just the last year from 20% to 29%. It is expected to increase again in the year ahead, with 34% of respondents saying they are likely to use sharing accommodations during a future vacation. Factors such as cost and the allure of staying somewhere unique are motivating travelers.
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*Among those who have used sharing economy accommodations in the past 12 months.

The New Way to Road Trip: Wings & Wheels
Following a trend released in last year's Portrait of American Travelers® survey, the Great American Road Trip continues its surge in popularity. Since 2015, there has been a 64% increase in respondents reporting they have taken a road trip. This year, 63% of travelers told us they intend to take a road trip in the next 12 months.

It's a common misperception that the primary appeal of a road trip is the potential it offers to save money on the vacation. In fact, those who have taken a road trip intend to take more vacations and spend more money on vacations in 2019 than those who have not taken a road trip. The primary reasons respondents mentioned for taking a road trip are the ability to make stops along the way and the ability to pack everything in the car. This stands to reason since significantly more Road Trippers than non-Road Trippers are motivated to travel by the prospect of exploration, the likelihood to enhance existing relationships, and the potential for self-discovery along the way. Seventy-seven percent (77%) indicate going on vacation brings their family closer together.

Most interestingly, we've identified a popular variation on the traditional road trip where travelers fly to a starting point and road trip from there. This is a new segment we're calling Wings & Wheels travelers, which is being propelled by Millennial families who believe road trips evoke a sense of nostalgia and are a means of family bonding that stimulates the creation of valuable vacation memories. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Millennial families took road trips that began from another city, compared to just 41% of singles and 28% of couples. And, 71% of these Wings & Wheels travelers agree with the statement, "Giving my children the opportunity to see the world makes me feel like a better parent," compared to just 57% of the Road Trippers who originate their travel from home.

Concerns for Safety Rise, With the Biggest Jump Among Millennials.
Safety is becoming more important to travelers when choosing destinations to visit, as well as deciding whether or not to travel internationally. In fact, cost and safety are the two most significant barriers to international travel (both short-haul and long-haul international travel) for Americans. These are significantly more important obstacles than concerns about language and communication, travel time to and from the destination, and access to quality health care while traveling. In particular, Millennials' desire for safety in a destination rose the most this year, up six points from 79% in 2018 to 85% in 2019.

For more information about these insights, or to purchase a 2019-2020 Portrait of American Travelers®report, visit www.mmgyintel.com.

About the 2019 Portrait of American Travelers®
Now in its 29th year, MMGY Global’s Portrait of American Travelers® survey provides an in-depth examination of the impact of the current economic environment, prevailing social values, and emerging travel habits, preferences and intentions of Americans. It is widely regarded as a leading barometer of travel trends and an essential tool for both the development and evolution of brand and marketing strategy. The nationally representative survey of 2,971 U.S. adults who have taken at least one overnight trip of 75 miles or more from home during the previous 12 months includes 2,013 households with an annual income between $50,000 and $124,999; 725 households with an annual income between $125,000 and $249,999; and 164 households with an annual income of more than $250,000. Data was collected in February 2019.


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Cuba builds up tourism sector despite U.S. sanctions.

7/7/2019

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Cuba continues to develop its tourism sector despite new White House measures to prevent Americans from spending their dollars in the sunny Caribbean island nation.

The biggest blow to Cuba -- and to Americans keen on visiting the country -- came in early June, when Washington banned U.S. cruise ships and recreational vessels from sailing to Cuban ports.

The abrupt decision led to the cancellation of some 800,000 reservations, according to the Cruise Lines International Association, the largest cruise industry trade group in the world.

"After the withdrawal of U.S. cruise companies that visited Cuban ports, we looked for new alternatives," Jose R. Daniel Alonso, the Tourism Ministry's director of development, told reporters recently.

Cuba's tourism industry has long thrived on international visitors from Canada and Europe, whose numbers continue to grow each year.

With these markets in mind, Cuba has made plans to build 8,500 new hotel rooms around the country in the next few years.

Havana will be holding its 500th anniversary celebrations in November, and in the lead up, new hotels will be inaugurated, including the Paseo del Prado, and others are being renovated, such as the Havana Riviera and Tryp Habana Libre.

Havana has about 12,545 rooms in all, or 17.3 percent of the country's hotel capacity, and is the most visited city on the island nation, hosting almost half of all tourists who visit the nation each year.

However, other parts of the country are also seeing tourism growth, especially Matanzas province and its Varadero beach resort, which is also known as Blue Beach and features 21,841 rooms.

Southern Matanzas is known for its ecotourism, which is best illustrated by an area known as Zapata Swamp, the largest wetland in the Caribbean and a venue of the international nature tourism expo TURNAT 2019 to be held in September.

In south-central Cuba, the cities of Cienfuegos and Trinidad -- the latter a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 -- will see new hotel openings.

In the town of Trinidad founded in 1514, hotel Melia Ancon is almost completed, and another three five-star hotels will be expanded.

In Santiago de Cuba, the nation's second-largest city, two hotels will open this year, and more are expected to break ground in 2020, including one housed in a high-tech smart building.

Cuba ended the first quarter of 2019 with a 7.2-percent increase in foreign tourist arrivals, slightly higher than forecasted. The nation expects to receive 5.1 million visitors this year.

Tourism is Cuba's second largest source of foreign revenue, bringing in over 3 billion U.S. dollars last year, an increase of 17.6 percent compared with that of 2017.
Source: www.xinhuanet.com/english/

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ARC Finds Dominican Republic Ticket Sales Down, Refunds Up in First Half 2019.

7/2/2019

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Air Travel Swells to Mexico and Other Caribbean Islands in June
Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) today released its findings from research on global airline ticketing trends to Mexico and the Caribbean for the first half of 2019. ARC’s analysis revealed that while ticket purchases to the Dominican Republic decreased and refunds for previously purchased tickets increased, the rest of the Caribbean and Mexico saw an overall gain in air travelers.*

U.S. Ticket Purchase and Refund Trends:
Air ticket purchases made in the U.S. from June 1, 2019 through June 23, 2019 for travel to the Dominican Republic decreased by 10% when compared to the same period in 2018.

Refunds for air ticket purchases to the Dominican Republic made in the U.S. from January 1, 2019 through June 23, 2019 increased 127% when compared to the same period in 2018.
Looking only at June 2019 departures to the Dominican Republic, refunds increased 77% when compared to June 2018.

Ticket Activity Outside the U.S.
Air ticket purchases for travel to the Dominican Republic made outside the U.S. from June 1, 2019 through June 23, 2019 decreased by 28% when compared to the same period in 2018.
Refunds for air ticket purchases to the Dominican Republic made outside the U.S. from June 1, 2019 through June 23, 2019 increased 8% when compared to the same period in 2018.

The Caribbean and Mexico
Air ticket purchases for travel to the Caribbean (excluding the Dominican Republic) and Mexico made in the U.S. from June 1, 2019 through June 23, 2019 increased 3% when compared to the same period in 2018. Ticket purchases for destinations with the most significant increase included:
Saint Martin +158%
Saint Barthélemy +117%
Saint Vincent +70%
Saint Lucia +33%
Bahamas +32%

About ARC:
An industry leader in air travel distribution and intelligence, ARC settled $94.8 billion in ticket transactions in 2018 between airlines and travel agencies, representing more than 295 million passenger trips. ARC provides flexible distribution solutions, innovative technology and access to the world’s most comprehensive air ticket transaction data, helping the global air travel community connect, grow and thrive. For more information, please visit www.arccorp.com.

Notes:
Results based on the examination of 35 million round-trip airline tickets (all classes) purchased globally from January 1, 2019 – June 23, 2019 for travel to Mexico and the Caribbean.

Dominican Republic round-trip tickets made up 4,619,002 out of the 35 million global tickets purchased to Mexico and the Caribbean.

U.S. results are based on purchased round-trip airline tickets to the Caribbean and Mexico, from 12,053 U.S. retail and corporate travel agency locations, including online travel agencies. Results also include tickets purchased directly from airlines that contribute their data to ARC.

Ticket purchases outside the U.S. are based on data from airlines that contribute their direct and indirect sales data to ARC.
 

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    Jim Hepple is an Assistant Professor at the University of Aruba and is Managing Director of Tourism Analytics.

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