BUSINESS NEWS
WTTC’s Hotel Basics eco scheme endorsed by GSTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) have agreed a partnership to speed up certification of hotels to accredited sustainability standards. The GSTC, which is responsible
for accrediting sustainability certification worldwide, has endorsed the WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability
Julia Simpson
nine GSTC-accredited criteria. WTTC president and chief
executive Julia Simpson said: “We wanted to bring in independent verification. GSTC’s rigorous accreditation programme not only elevates our initiative but ensures the hospitality sector worldwide moves towards a unified vision of sustainability.” GSTC chief executive Randy
Basics scheme, launched in March, which aims to “raise the floor on sustainability” with 12 indicators “all hotels should implement” (Travel Weekly, March 2). The scheme meets
Durband hailed Hotel Sustainability Basics as “a finely crafted entry level for hotels of any size and type” and said: “The combined pathway provides clarity for beginning and for continuous improvement.”
Proposals for PTD reform alarm Euro agents’ body
Ian Taylor
The European travel agents’ and tour operators’ association (ECTAA) has expressed alarm at European Commission proposals to reform the Package Travel Directive (PTD) which could limit prepayments to package organisers. ECTAA wrote to EC president
Ursula von der Leyen, transport commissioner Adina Valean and justice commissioner Didier Reynders this week requesting an urgent meeting. It noted PTD review proposals
expected to be issued on November 29 include an “intention to introduce a limitation on prepayments”, whereas a review of EU Regulation 261 on air passenger rights “will lack corresponding measures” on prepayments to airlines. ECTAA pointed to “the delays
in airlines reimbursing passengers for cancelled flights” during the Covid-19 pandemic and “the
travelweekly.co.uk
impact on travel intermediaries”, and accused the EC directorate generals for transport, responsible for air passenger rights, and justice – responsible for the PTD – of “diverging objectives” and “lack of political ambition”. It complained: “Even protecting
passengers’ payments against airline insolvency will not be included [in the PTD reform] or might merely be addressed as an obligation to inform consumers on the availability of insurance. To make things worse, there are considerations to narrow the scope of the PTD by excluding loose combinations sold by airlines via third-party traders from being categorised as Linked Travel Arrangements (LTAs).” ECTAA warned this would
permit carriers “to sell combinations of travel services without having to adhere to any of the obligations in the PTD”, providing a “loophole” for larger airlines “to
The EC is considering limiting prepayments to package organisers
offer unprotected combinations”, disrupting competition and “harming consumers by reducing the availability of packages”. The UK government is also
looking separately at the Package Travel Regulations (PTRs) and air passenger rights. The Department for Business and Trade issued a call for evidence on reform of the PTRs last month – with no mention of consumer prepayments.
26 OCTOBER 2023 47
European air traffic this year ‘to reach 92% of 2019 level’
European air traffic reached 93% of the 2019 level this summer, two percentage points lower than forecast in March. European air navigation safety
body Eurocontrol issued a new seven-year forecast last week, with a “marginally downward” revision of its forecast in March which was that summer 2023 traffic would hit 95% of 2019’s level. It noted “a slight fall-off [in flights] since June” and a downward revision of the economic outlook in Europe. It now forecasts European air
traffic will reach 92% of the 2019 level this year, having hit 93% in July and August, rising to 98% in 2024 and 100% in 2025. However, Eurocontrol predicts
peak summer traffic next year will reach 2019’s level. It notes: “The recovery from the pandemic is largely complete. However, the network is still impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and there is considerable variation across Europe” – most notably in Germany which faces “economic sluggishness and domestic market pressures”. By contrast, it reports “robust growth” in southeast Europe, although it notes the forecast was made before the violence in Israel and Gaza. Beyond 2025, Eurocontrol tips flight growth to average 1.6% a year.
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