THAILAND’S MEETINGS, INCENTIVES, CONFERENCES AND EXHIBITIONS (MICE) industry suffered revenue losses estimated at 3.32 billion baht (£60 million) as a result of the country’s floods at the end of 2011. There were 24 events cancelled and 250,800 fewer MICE visitors due to the
extent of the flooding. Eight international trade shows were also postponed. At the same time, several key MICE areas were unaffected, including Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Had Yai. “It’s important to note that many scheduled events have been completely
unaffected,” said Akapol Sorasuchart, president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. He said key events going ahead as planned this year include the 2012 Rotary International Convention in May, which will bring in 30,000 visitors. “Immediate short-term measures will focus on setting up a one-stop-centre to
assist MICE travellers and facilitate the provision of daily updates to the industry and all stakeholders,” said Sorasuchart. “Our MICE industry should be looking up towards the end of the first quarter of 2012.”
APD consultation was “a sham”
THE TREASURY’S CONSULTATION on air passenger duty (APD) was a “waste of taxpayers’ money”, according to the chiefs of BA, Virgin, Ryanair and Easyjet. The government’s response last month to the consultation revealed there would be no fundamental changes to APD, despite repeated calls for change from many in the industry. This prompted cries of outrage from the CEOs of four of
Britain’s airlines, who branded the consultation “a sham”. Easyjet’s Carolyn McCall, BA-parent IAG’s Willie Walsh, Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary and Virgin Atlantic’s Steve Ridgway had earlier formed an unprecedented alliance to campaign against the tax. In a joint statement, they said: “We have no doubt this would confirm that APD’s negative effect on UK GDP significantly outweighs its revenue benefit for the treasury.” The treasury’s response revealed it is going ahead with an 8 per
cent increase to APD in April – payable retrospectively on tickets already purchased, and has ignored calls to change the banding and to reclassify premium economy to a lesser rate than first and business class. Premium class APD will go up from £170 to £184 per journey of 6,000 miles or more. Mike Carrivick, CEO of airline representation board BAR UK, said his 86 member airlines were “angry” about the outcome of the consultation, adding: “Immediate reactions are that a huge amount of money, time and effort has been spent in vain." He said the chancellor’s decision to increase APD was “a
retrograde step for the UK economy and will be devastating for the travel industry”.
CARLSON WAGONLIT UK EXCHANGE: BUSINESS
News
‘GOOD BUT FRAGILE’ THE SHORT-TERM FUTURE OF BUSINESS TRAVEL has never been so difficult to predict, Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) UK boss Andrew Waller told travel buyers at the company’s annual Client Exchange in London. He said the ongoing economic and political uncertainty is “strangling growth” and “eroding confidence”. “Business is good,” he surmised, “but uncertain” and “very fragile”, and the future is “incredibly difficult to predict”. Some areas of business travel show strong signs of continued
growth, he said, with CWT winning £70 million of new client business in the previous 12 months, and seeing its meetings and events business double. The impact of the Olympics was a hot topic, with Olympic 400m
silver medallist Roger Black on hand to remind delegates why London is putting itself through the logistical challenge. “At that level, talent is only a ticket to the party,” he said. “The rest is about perseverance, teamwork and attitude. You need a high sense of achievement and a low fear of failure.” Transport for London’s (TfL) Olympic programme and risk manager, Antonino Letteriello, urged buyers to discourage their travellers from attempting to travel in certain areas during peak periods. Instead, he encouraged businesses to consider asking staff to work from home, or to use a different mode of transport to travel to work, such as Barclays Cycle Hire or even walking. But Letteriello said TfL
Olympic medallist Roger Black.
would be well prepared for the games, having invested £6.5 billion in transport capacity enhancements, including extra tube capacity and 200 extra buses. n Olympics 2012 feature, p66