A ROLLERCOASTER YEAR IN TRAVEL

Posted on 12/29/2015

The year 2015 featured battles in the boardroom, the courts and increasingly in the air between passengers and cabin crew. Fortunately there were expressions of compassion and generosity as many but not all nations welcomed Syrian refugees fleeing from their war-torn homeland. The year was filled with mergers, diplomacy and sadly more deadly terrorism incidents. It was a year that many won’t soon forget.

In the past year I have had the opportunity to see many parts of the world including Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Mexico, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, Kenya and various parts of the United States and Canada. Those travels gave me a sense of renewed hope and how incredible this world is with so many fascinating places to see and experience. It also demonstrated to me how airlines, operators and hoteliers treat passengers and guests with scorn and disrespect. This goes both ways – the examples of unruly passenger incidents seems to be on the rise (usually they are inebriated or on drugs) where there is absolutely no excuse for this abhorrent behaviour. WELCOME BACK USA

It was hard not to say, “I told you so,” to the folks at the Canadian Tourism Commission (now Destination Canada) as the new president and CEO David Goldstein announced in the spring they are going back into the US market big time after abandoning it a few years ago to target those golden travel destinations – China, India and Brazil. I am happy to see Destination Canada allocate more resources and funds to its biggest travel market by far. This is especially important now that the Canadian dollar has plummeted against the strong US dollar. There are numerous flights and with the price of gas at low levels this is the ideal time (and Canada’s economy needs a boost) to promote Canada to the Americans. They can even do a marketing campaign – “Need to escape US election ads? And Donald Trump? Visit Canada!” Canadians were finding travelling abroad an increasingly expensive proposition. Our lowly dollar has dropped to around .72 cents to the US dollar. No doubt this will have effect this winter on the traditional sun destination getaways like Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean. All-inclusive packages will have more appeal as Canadians will want to know how much it will cost before they travel and not spend as much at the destination for tours, dining, souvenirs and shopping. Unfortunately the forecast for 2016 for the dollar is not good and will be a year or more before it starts going up again.

Thankfully gas prices have gone down considerably – though when it comes to the airline fuel fees and charges airline passengers haven’t seen any savings. Oil prices were over a $100 a barrel and now it’s hovering around $40 a barrel but where are the savings? I have no issue with airlines making a profit and they should – we want them to be in the black and not go back to the days of so many airlines declaring bankruptcy. But hey, when there are significant savings don’t you think you can pass along a portion of those savings to passengers. SYRIAN REFUGEES The Syrian refugees fleeing their brutally violent homeland were both a good and bad news travel story in 2015. It broke my heart for those who travelled in the most inhospitable conditions en route to a new life. The pain and suffering etched on the refugees’ faces was heartbreaking for the world to see.

My hope in humanity was restored when I saw how many individuals, organizations and all levels of government in Canada welcomed the refugees. The images on television of our Prime Minister, top officials, and just average Canadians welcoming the refugees in open arms was a testament as to why Canada is such a great place to live. Those images made me proud to be a Canadian. MERGE THIS The travel industry was not immune to corporate mergers. In 2015 we saw the final shake-up in the US airline industry as US Airways became part of the American Airlines family.

Marriott International pulled out its wallet and acquired Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The massive US $12.2 billion acquisition makes it the biggest hotel company in the world. A test for sales executives – if they can name all 30-plus brands they get to keep their jobs! Does bigger mean better though? I don’t think so. Expedia went big too with a trifecta acquisition of Travelocity, Orbitz and HomeAway. Sadly Fairmont which is a Canadian favourite became part of Accor Hotels. STRIKING TERROR IN TRAVEL

Terrorism reared its ugly head in many parts of the world including a tourism hotspot – Paris. The November 13th attacks had a direct result in people cancelling trips to the City of Romance and future bookings. It will pick up again. I feel for Tunisia which has so many tourism attributes but was hit hard in Tunis and Sousse this past year with deadly terrorism attacks. Avoiding places is not the answer. These nations depend so heavily on tourism. Enhance the security measures without turning it into a fortress and let’s not go overboard on government travel alerts, warnings and advisories. Isolated incidents shouldn’t damage a whole country. CRUISING FORWARD The cruise industry continues to grow. Canadians rank 5th (the US is first) with 800,000 Canadians taking a cruise in 2014. There were more than 20 river cruise ships launched in 2014 and river cruising is becoming a more popular option for those who prefer a more personalized and active itinerary. There will be more niche market cruises – LGBT, multigenerational, singles and themed (art, lifestyle, etc.). It is expected that US based cruises will begin in Cuba in 2016 as relations begin to normalize along with new US-Cuba air agreements. With many Canadians fearing the US tourism invasion, in the near future, Canadians will be going down in record numbers in 2016. Overall the travel industry was a healthy one in 2015 with some blips in different sectors. More people, even the millennials, are seeking expert advice since the internet can be overwhelming and full of scams and need the trusted advice and expertise of a travel agent. The sky has not fallen on the profession. I do see a resurgence. There are many signs of optimism in the industry – more destinations, more flights, better itineraries, all ages travelling, and a thirst for exploring the world. Let’s feed on this and keep the negativism at bay. Keep