TTO_January_2018_web

Travel Trade
OuTbOund
January 2018 - ISSUE #26
Safest airlines
GSA and international network
rade
Scandinavia
und Time for the travel marts
Colombia – the new adventure desti
Doublebed in business class
Traveltrends 2018
Travel Trade
OuTbOund
Scandinavia

Finnair plans for
business class
Finnair has unveiled its plans to refine its business class service.
The new service concept will offer a wider range of dining
options, which will be served on-demand at a passenger’s
preferred time.
The carrier is also introducing the classic Finnish tradition
“Kahvikutsut” – a coffee served with seven different treats
– for long-haul flights departing Asia in the morning. This coffee
service will allow passengers to enjoy traditional Finnish
treats like Carelian pies, cinnamon buns, coffee cake and traditional
Finnish chocolates between the two meal services.
“More than ever, our Business Class customers enjoy the
opportunity to customise their travel and dining experience,”
said Piia Karhu, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience
at Finnair.
“Our objective is to create an unspoken bond with our
guests, every time they fly. We have dedicated cabin
crew personnel for business class passengers, providing a
Travel Trade
OuTbOund
more individual service, with the aim of setting new standards
for comfort and overall wellbeing onboard Finnair flights.”
Finnair’s new business class service concept will commence as
Scandinavia
of February 7 2018 on flights to Seoul, Tokyo and Shanghai,
with a gradual rollout of the remaining long-haul destinations
during the spring and summer.
A350 CABIN ENHANCEMENTS
The carrier has also revealed that it will introduce renewed
textiles and Marimekko patterns throughout its new A350
aircraft. These will include new simple and stylish seat
covers, plus pillows, blankets and chinaware with prints from
the iconic Finnish design house Marimekko.
David Kondo, Head of Cabin Interior Development at
Finnair, explained: “With Nordic-inspired design throughout
the entire cabin, our aim is for our guests to be treated to
a travel experience that soothes the senses and clears the
mind. Our new seat textiles and comfort amenities have a
fresh and modern aesthetic that is inspired by Nordic homes
and landscapes.”
These new interior elements will be rolled out on Finnair’s
Airbus A350 aircraft in phases during 2018.
Travel Trade
OuTbOund
Published by: Traveltrademedia.com, Copenhagen, Denmark. CVR DK29314055
Managing editor:
Carsten Elsted
Travel editor:
Carsten A. Andersen
Contact:
editor@ttoscandinavia.com
Layout:
Agnese Klavina

Meet the
Danish Travel Trade
Find good business opportunities
It is all about Networking
Friday 23 February is Trade Day • 3,000+ Trade visitors
Social get-2-gether for professionals
FREE
ADMISSION
for travel professionals contact
danishtravelshow@mch.dk
Partnerland:
SPANIEN
Preferred Holiday Fair of the Danish Travel Professionals. Danish Travel
Show is Scandinavia’s largest consumer holiday fair and has been taking
place every year since 1997.
Danish Travel Show occupies no less than 13 exhibition halls. In 2017 the
fair had 60,000 visitors, over 1,100 exhibitors, 230 trade journalists,
more than 50 represented contries and over 3,000 trade-only visitors.
Messecenter Herning | Vardevej 1 | DK-7400 Herning | Denmark | +45 9926 9926 | mch.dk

APG:
Goran Hansson and Erik Lindholm together with Mette Sikla Nielsen,
Nyhavn Rejser during a promotion for Vietnam Airlines.
Important to be international
“It is, and will always be, important
to be present on local markets in spite
of today’s automatization. One of the
most common replies from the travel
industry is their appreciation of having
a local name and number to contact.”
Goran Hanson director of the Nordic
APG says.
“APG moves in that direction. We
emphasize local telephone numbers on
all markets having a reasonable volume
in sales and clear and easy-to-find email
addresses.”
“It is our competitive advantage to be
easily found and reached whenever
needed for assistance and service. Just
like it is important for APG Nordic also
to cater for the smaller markets, like
Estonia, Iceland, Latvia and Lithuania,
through our nearest physical offices.”
“Our plan is to open a small office in Oslo
within the near future in addition to our
offices in Copenhagen, Stockholm and
Tallinn.”
APG Network today has over 100 offices
worldwide to cover and service over 170
countries and as such being the largest
GSA. As APG also have airline products
as ABCS and IET this is another reason
to be closer to the customers.
APG has various number of customers
depending on which country and we
focus primarily on airline representation
(GSA) but also to provide airlines with
technical solutions to handle interline
relations and ticketing platforms
through our own airline, APG Airline
(GP 275) to ease the burden of high
fixed costs for new entrants or for larger
airlines on small or secondary markets.
For APG Scandinavia & Baltics the
newest partner is Cobalt Air from
Cyprus commencing regular flights
between Copenhagen and Larnaca at
end of March.
Goran Hansson: “Sweden is by natural
reasons the largest individual market
in volume but Denmark continues to
record a very positive trend. In 2018
we expect Norway to pick up again
with an improved economy and return
to situation a couple of years ago. The
New Year promise for us is to work even
closer with our friends in APG Finland
and together offer customers an area
of 8 countries with around 32 million
inhabitants.“
“Of course there is a difference between
the markets in the various countries
where we are present. All markets
are different, and must be treated
differently, but also have probably more
in common. Sometimes it is challenges
to convince airlines with head offices
on the other side of the Globe how it
works in this part of the World and
the borderless areas we enjoy having.
Compared to the more high populated
countries in Europe it is also more
difficult to get understanding for the
needs of our markets and that (online)
flights to one destination cannot satisfy
the whole region and that there is a need
for good relations also with the local
carriers to secure connecting flights for
offline airlines.
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>> Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

General manager Tapani Kauhanen together with some of the staff.
INTERNATIONAL OFFICES NECESSARY
AVIAREPS has 64 offices in how many countries.
Tapani Kauhanen,
General Manager Nordic Countries
“Our expanding office network allows us to provide our clients
with on-the-ground market specialists, each with their own
well-established networks and in-depth local know-how for
achieving results.
At the same time, AVIAREPS as an organization is very much
focused on international best practice and global market
leadership, which are both two concepts requiring high levels
of ongoing proactive engagement.
A major pillar to being successful in this regard is having
our network of offices working closely together at many
levels, including best practice benchmarking and cross
training. The strength of the AVIAREPS network then
becomes its combination of international best practice with
local expertise ensuring clients gets the best of both worlds.”
AVIAREPS has 35 customers in the Nordic Countries. Obviously
Sweden is the largest country by number of inhabitants and
economy, but there are interesting geographical variations and
obviously variations between the markets. For example the
cooperation between airlines and the feeder traffic for those
airlines that are not online is highly local, where the company
has an important role to play in order to improve. AVIAREPS
work with all the major distribution channels such as TMCs,
OTAs, travel agencies and tour operators. Additionally the
company performs ad hoc activities like market research and
workshops/road shows in the area.
Which Nordic country is the most promising in 2018?
Tapani Kauhanen: ”Again referring to the vast variety of our
clients and their backgrounds – there is always very promising
development going on somewhere. To take Norway as an
example: higher oil prices will normally have an impact on
higher fuel surcharges and higher cost of airline travel that may
affect the leisure travel volumes negatively. On the other hand
lower oil prices have led to less travel from the important oil
sector in Norway, thus giving lower business travel volumes.
Finland looks very promising at the moment as the country´s
economy has turned into growth after several years of slow
motion. Sweden and Denmark are performing very well.”
What is AVIAREPS strength as GSA compared to others?
“Aviareps strength is the staff: I am stunned by my Nordic
colleagues – around 25 - and their individual and collective
knowledge of the travel business. I never need to leave the office
or search the web to find an answer to a question I may have. I
just ask…”does anybody know what…” and I get professional
answers quickly. Our sales network – where we have appointed
sales staff for our products - is also a very efficient tool to gather
sales leads and market information for all the products and
airlines we represent.”
“It is impossible to treat the Nordic countries the same way. We
may look the same from a distance, from another continent –
or even seen from other parts of Europe. But coming myself
from the Nordic countries we know that the markets are highly
individual and need a local approach to them.”
Your vision for the company?
It is simple: we want to be the best in our business – and have a
good time while doing that!
The Aviareps Group employs 750+ persons globally with
an annual turnover in FY 16/17 of more then 116.7 million
Euro. Today we number 65 offices in 47 countries, across
6 continents, the latest offices having just been opened in
Shenyang and Wuhan in China, resulting in a network of
8 offices in greater China alone. Growth for us, and also in
delivering it to our clients, is a key element of our corporate
strategy.
Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

Travelers want Colombia
International travel to Colombia is up more than
20 percent in 2017, and much of that has to do with
all of the new public and private investment in
tourism infrastructure during the last few years.
The nation’s stable political climate, sustainable
economic development strategies, and a healthy
tax incentive to lure global hospitality brands
to Colombia are also contributing to the robust
growth.
Madame Sonia Duran, ambassador to Sweden and Denmark,
wants also the Scandinavians to experience Colombia.
The Colombian ambassador to Sweden,
Denmark and Iceland, Sonia Duran is
impressed by the efforts of ProColombia:
“The peace agreement which has been
achieved by the government of President
Santos after half a century of intern armed
conflict, situation that will enable access,
enjoyment and sustainable tourism in
unexplored areas of Colombia, allowing
to observe one of the most beautiful and
biodiverse countries in the world.”
However, local tourism leaders believe that
Colombia’s modern physical infrastructure
and its protected natural environment will
only go so far to differentiate the country
as a travel destination in the eyes of nextgeneration
travelers. Research shows
that savvy travelers today want to return
“transformed and inspired” from their
trips. They also want to “fulfill their own
quests” by designing their own unique
travel journeys.
“For us, travel is not just about transporting
yourself to a unique place physically,
because there are very few places in the
world where people haven’t already been,”
says Julián Guerrero, vice president of
tourism at ProColombia, the national
organization responsible for promoting
international travel “Instead, the secret to
creating a truly unique travel experience
is really the connection between the
inner and physical experiences, which are
different for every individual.”
That was the motivation behind
ProColombia’s development of the
new international tourism campaign:
Colombia: Land of Sabrosura,
launched in early December in tune
with ProColombia’s 25th anniversary.
“Sabrosura” is a local word without a
direct English translation, referring to an
emotional state of joy, a positive attitude,
beauty or flavor, depending on the context.
It is also uniquely experienced by each
individual.
For Colombia, music and culture play a
major part of that feeling. Music especially
is a language that communicates directly
to the heart and the mind of the visitors.
It also provides a great way to explore,
discover, and understand the core
meaning of a destination
Colombia’s varied musical heritage plays
an important part in its national identity,
blending Indigenous, African, and
European influences. Adding to the multifaceted,
multicultural appeal, Colombia is
the only country in South America that
has Pacific, Atlantic, Andes, rainforest,
and tropical river delta ecosystems. Each
of those regions not only feels different
in terms of its cultural influences and
landscape, they sound different as well.
Therefore, the ambassador suggests as
travelers move through different parts
of Colombia, their experiences will have
specific musical dialects to accompany
their journeys, each contributing to
a soundtrack representing a specific
moment in the traveler journey.
For the Colombia: Land of Sabrosura
6
>> Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

campaign, ProColombia produced 11
videos — including the launch video
above — highlighting the country’s
internationally acclaimed performers:
Sebastián Yatra, Piso 21, Maia, Martina
La Peligrosa, Herencia De Timbiquí and
Alexis Play.
As such, the music is an interpreter of a
specific place, and the people who inhabit
it, whether they’re locals who’ve lived there
for generations or visitors passing through
for a few days. says Guerrero emphasizes
that music is a shared language, fluid and
malleable. And the people of Colombia
are eager to share their songs these days
with foreign visitors, because they’re filled
with a newfound pride based on how
many people from around the world are
suddenly coming to visit them.
In fact, he adds, Colombians are the
country’s greatest strength, noting that
Colombia is ranked third on the Happy
Planet Index.
“That says something about our character
as people, and at the end of the day, no
matter how much technology influences
tourism, like chatbots and social media,
the reason why people travel is always
because it’s a human experience,” states
Guerrero. “We feel we have strength
there. People that come to Colombia fall
in love with the landscape, the history, the
gastronomy, but they also fall in love with
the people and the passion they have for
life. And one of the ways we can share that
passion is through music.”
Disney tighten security
Disney has started updating the security policies at several
of its resorts in Walt Disney World.
Guests staying at one of the three monorail hotels – the Grand
Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary resorts – near the
Magic Kingdom have already experienced the tighter security
policies, which include the removal of the “Do Not Disturb”
door sign. The markers have been swapped out for “Room
Occupied” signs that will alert maintenance and staff that
guests are currently in their rooms, but will not stop Disney
staff from coming in.
DISNEY WORLD SLAMMED FOR 'HORRIBLE' ANI-
MATRONIC TRUMP THAT 'LOOKS LIKE JON VOIGHT'
The sign accompanies another new policy that requires
Disney employees to enter each hotel room at least once a day
to ensure “the safety and security of guests and property,”
Walt Disney World News Today reports.
Under the old rules, employees would pass by rooms marked
with the “Do Not Disturb” sign. However, now Disney says
“the hotel and its staff reserve the right to enter your room
for any purpose including, but not limited to, performing
maintenance and repairs or checking on the safety and
security of guests and property.”
Though guests will no longer have the option to keep staff
out, the company assures that its guests will be given notice
prior to entering the room by knocking and announcing
that they are coming in, WDWNT reports.
Some have reportedly hypothesized that the tightened
security measures are a response to the Las Vegas shooting
at Mandalay Bay that claimed the lives of 58 people earlier
this year. According to WDWNT, the monorail resorts have
similar vantage points into crowded areas. However, Disney
officials have not made any statement as to why they are
introducing the new policies.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX
LIFESTYLE NEWS
The changes are expected to roll out to other Walt Disney
World Resort Hotels in the coming weeks, but some Disney
guests are already balking at them.
“We bought a motor home when I retired because of all the
security issues,” a Disney guest told the Associated Press.
“Like, you never know when somebody can come in your
room when you’re not in your room.”
Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

Matka 2018 to offer
adventure in far-away lands
Travel is attractive: according to statistics, the Nordic countries
made 25 million overnight leisure trips abroad in 2016.
At the Matka Nordic Travel Fair 2018 in Helsinki, from 17 to 21
January 2018, people suffering from ‘travel fever’ will be able to
look for the most attractive destination for next year. Exhibitors
will be presenting long-haul destinations and tips from Africa,
Asia, America and Australia.
According to statistics Matka is seeing an increase in the travel
offering interest in Africa, especially North Africa.
At the Matka Nordic Travel Fair, Africa will be on show mainly
through exotic destinations south of the Sahara. The countries
presented at the fair include South Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar,
Rwanda and Uganda, while North Africa is represented by
Morocco.
In addition to Thailand, the Matka Nordic Travel Fair will
invite visitors to get acquainted with other Asian countries and
destinations. The fair will feature, for example, the United Arab
Emirates (Ras al-Khaimah), India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia,
Japan and South Korea. The We Love Cruises stage will introduce
India’s UNESCO world heritage sites, which total as many as 36.
Of the destinations in the Caribbean, the fair will feature the
Caribbean islands, including the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
Cuba will also bring a 12-person salsa band to the fair, to perform
on the Inspiration stage.
Matka has made a new working day for professionals on
Wednesday, titled MatkaPro for travel trade professionals, with
seminars and dedicated theme events such as Matka Business
Forum and Matka Workshop Day under the whole Matka
umbrella.
Offering for trade visitors is emphasized on Wednesday and
Thursday 17-18 JAN 2018, but Matka encourage everyone to stay
during the weekend, as not all trade visitors visit Matka during
those days. According to the research, a substantial amount visits
during the weekend from Friday to Sunday.
Matka Business Forum (18 JAN) is fully booked.
MATKA Business Forum is dedicated to companies providing
business travel services for global travel management decisionmakers.
Business Forum is part of MatkaPro, which is the name
of the Matka Nordic Travel Fair professional and B2B exhibitor
program.
Matka Workshop Day (17 JAN) is the largest B2B matchmaking
event in Northern Europe
Held in conjunction with the Matka Nordic Travel Fair, the
largest travel fair in the Nordic countries, Matka Workshop Day
has, over the years, grown into a major international buying and
selling event for Nordic travel services.
During the day, more than 250 international buyers will make
deals with Nordic businesses and service providers.
Trade visitor registration has also begun and the first registrations
have come through.
If a travel trade professional is interested to visit MATKA, they
can join MatkaPro and receive a free invitation by filling up
their information here: http://matka.messukeskus.com/matkapro/?lang=en
The exhibitors and programe of the Matka Nordic Travel Fair are
available at www.matkamessut.fi.
The Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow offers the ideal
setting for travel industry professionals from around the
globe to meet, work together and exchange ideas.
Conveniently located in Iceland, midway between Europe
and North America, buyers have the opportunity to work
with premium suppliers from Iceland, Europe, USA and
Canada.
This relaxed environment allows participants to interact
in multiple programs and dinner parties as they strive to
develop their business relationships.
These programs have proven to be a great success in
strengthening the ties between thousands of travel
professionals.
Fully booked Mid-Atlantic
Utilizing feedback from previous years, the many travel partners involved
work to ensure that your experience in Iceland surpasses any expectations.
THURSDAY 25 JANUARY
• 19:00 Velkomin til Íslands“ Get-together and official opening at Harpa
Concert Hall. Light refreshments are served.
• 21:00 Enjoy the remainder of the evening at your leisure
FRIDAY 26 JANUARY
Start your day with a complimentary breakfast at your hotel followed by
shuttle transportation to Laugardalshöll Sportshall, the site of the 2018
Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow.
• 08:45 Presentation by ICELANDAIR.
• 09:15 Beginning of the 2018 Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow.
Remember to bring your appointment list with you!
• 12:00 LUNCH in the sportshall
• 13:00 Continuation of the Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Tradeshow with
appointments scheduled until 17:00
• 19:30 An evening filled with good food, great entertainment at
Hlíðarendi Sports Arena
SATURDAY 27 JANUARY
Complimentary breakfast at your hotel is served.
Your complimentary day tour begins from around 07:00 – 09:00
8
>> Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

Spain partner
at Danish Travel Show
Spain is the partner country in Herning in Denmark at the Danish Travel Show, the only remaining
travel show in Denmark with more than 60,000 visitors February 23-25.
Anders Ladefoged, project manager:
“We are trying to make it more trade wise on the first dag, Friday, so that the managers can move
around and be networking the whole day. It is very important for us as organizers to assist the trade
in working together.”
The Travel show this year has more than 1,000 exhibitors, some bigger, some smaller.
The main ones are also this year all the largest tour operators, like Bravotours, Spies, Tjæreborg, TUI,
but one of the largest FIT agencies Albatros has also this year found its way to Herning, even though
it does not have any office in Jylland.
Also Colombia, Spain of course, Norway, the Faroe Islands, and USA (even lesser visitors from the
Nordic countries) will be present, India and Billund airport with all its airlines, will be there.
Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

Hotel food trends for 2018
Just as they did a century ago, hotel
restaurants have a mantle to uphold by
striving to be culinary leaders in their
respective locales. To do so in today’s
competitive foodservice landscape,
however, requires constant ingenuity.
While everyone knows about the big push to offer healthier
options, incorporate any purported superfoods and raise the
profile of local producers through farm-to-table programs.
Much like nearly every other customer who will set food in
your eatery, I would expect that your team already have those
three well in hand.
Below are five more to consider as the New Year dawns upon us.
Besides my own firsthand observations, constant reading and
listening to colleagues’ anecdotal remarks, I’ve also recruited
Mintel Group Ltd.’s latest intelligence reports on global food
and drink trends for 2018 (http://www.mintel.com/menuinsights)
to help compile and lend some extra veracity to these
top trends.
1. ALLERGIES ABOUND
Fully in swing with the proliferation of individuals with
various food sensitivities, every restaurant must first and
foremost oblige these customers with total ingredient
transparency. That means indicating everything used for the
menu and more detailed buffet signage. Whether or not you
decide to adjust your menu to appease those with allergies
is secondary to this. But know that this has implications for
other common trends like vegan (no animal products), glutenfree
(no bread) or paleo dieting (think cauliflower-based
faux-rice or faux-mash potatoes) where more and more such
alternative options are influencing where people choose to eat.
This is also a particular challenge for banqueting where the
more components you have on a dish translates to the greater
potential for substitution requests and a bottleneck in the
kitchen.
2. REDUCING FOOD WASTE
Not only is food waste a leading environmental hazard but it
adds up to a lofty expense for any provider. The good news is
that sustainability programs and advisors are readily available
to help set up something that’s feasible for your situation and
that can save you money. For starters, you must become more
conscious about using every part of an ingredient – the whole
plant or all the trimmings from a cut of meat. Indeed, with a
bit of research and experimentation, such ‘recycling’ can result
in some very delicious and alluring creations. Two others that
are no-brainers are composting and building a partnership to
donate leftovers to a nearby food bank.
3. BOOZY BRUNCH
Brunch is big these days. Meanwhile, sparkling wine sales
have seen a sharp year-over-year uptick and this isn’t because
people have substantially more to celebrate. Champagne,
prosecco and others in this fizzy class are becoming more
widely accepted as everyday drinkers, and not just as beverages
for special occasions. This is not to say that sparkling wine
is the only base that you can use for any sort of breakfast or
brunch cocktail, but it’s a good start as the Bellini and mimosa
are two of the most popular drinks for the pre-noon crowd. So,
if you offer a dedicated brunch service then you should also
challenge your team to come up with some enticing beverages
to complement the menu.
4. SEASONAL SPECIFICITY
The word ‘seasonal’ should imply local, but it should also go a
step further by giving your menu a ‘limited time only’ appeal.
Next, the term ‘specificity’ should give you a hint as to how you
can best market your seasonal offerings – by drilling down to
the exact cultivar of a vegetable or the subspecies variety that
you used for a given dish. This not only suggests exclusivity
and increased value, but it also educates the customers in the
just the right way. Along these lines, words like ‘heirloom’ and
‘heritage’ carry a lot of weight, even with issues surrounding
consistent sourcing. While seasonal specificity works best
when it’s married to local produce (think cheeses made nearby
that are only available around Christmas time), it can also be
applied to just about anything that’s in limited supply for a
set annual duration. While seasonal menus are quite popular,
they nonetheless require significantly more maintenance as
you must work out the sourcing logistics and your chefs must
be willing to more frequently change what’s offered in the first
place.
5. POPULAR FOOD, NEW TWIST
As an extension of the point about reducing food waste and
being more conscious of your ingredients, the concept here
is to add a bit of the unknown to your dishes while still
operating within an acceptable framework. For instance,
beets are already trending, but few restaurants are utilizing
beetroot greens for salads or sides, which is taking the process
one tiny step further. Similarly, you might opt to use fennel
pollen instead of just fennel or substitute honey for royal jelly.
Also, worth consideration are infused syrups or house-made
specialty sauces that take what’s already palatable but with just
a hint of the unknown. While the possibilities in this regard
aren’t anywhere close to endless, you can still make a big
splash by being just a tad different.
10
>> Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

Travel trends 2018
While an extremely old industry, trends in travel are changing at an extremely
fast pace, especially when it comes to adopting new forms of technology.
Therefore, the trends that we can expect in 2018 will be unique, innovative, and
the latest in technology!
1. LEISURE TRAVEL MIXED WITH
BUSINESS TRAVEL
With business travel on the rise and countries becoming more
accessible, travelers today prefer to combine business and
leisure for increased convenience. Therefore, travel agencies will
see more of quick vacations, customized tours, and travel plans
dictated by factors like proximity and availability of time.
2. SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS
Indicating a major shift in the industry, solo women travelers
are fast becoming the norm as women are venturing outside
their comfort zones, and are willing to experiment more with
destinations, experiences, and activities. Hence, this is a sector
that has major scope for growth in the coming year.
3. EXPERIENTIAL TRAVEL
Experiences will be the cornerstone of travel in 2018. For
travelers today, travel is all about the people you meet and the
experiences you have, and this will increase in 2018. How about
swimming with the pigs in Bahamas or chasing the Northern
Lights in Finland?
4. CULTURAL TRAVEL
Along with experiential travel, travelers are also looking at
really getting close to a country’s culture. As a result, home
stays and boutique hotels are becoming increasingly popular,
and travelers are increasingly tailoring their vacations around
specific festivals, cultural hotspots, and unique experiences.
5. LUXURY IS ON THE RISE
While luxury has always been a major travel segment, it’s going
to increase in 2018. From first-class suites on planes to themed
getaways, spa vacations, exotic destinations, and unique
experiences, this is a segment that will never go out of fashion,
especially with the constant increase in spending power.
6. TECHNOLOGY AND AI
With the scope of technology increasing by leaps and bounds, it
stands to reason that it would also have an impact on the travel
industry. As a result, the industry will be seeing an increase
in technology being used for various applications like travel
bookings, communicating locally, and ease of local travel. For
instance, there’s a particular airline that’s investing in a Siri-like
AI to communicate with travelers to put together a personalized
travel plan for each person. That personalization would be
bolstered by analysis of interactions with other travelers and
large data sets about preferences.
7. MATURING MARKETS
Come 2018, travel markets that were on the bottom of every
bucket list are slowly coming to the top, mainly due to the rise
in economic stability of countries and the constant search for
new and unique experiences. These destinations include China,
Japan, and Africa.
8. QUICK GETAWAYS
In addition to long vacations, quick weekend getaways have
also become the norm, with travelers opting for undiscovered
locations close to home, that can be covered in a couple of days.
In this way, they get a chance to unwind amidst a very busy
schedule, and gain a new perspective of their hometown.
9. STAYCATIONS
Staycations have become quite a popular trend and many
travelers have trended in the direction of sticking around locally
to enjoy their vacation time. In this way, they get a chance
to enjoy their vacation in peace, without any time spent in
traveling and without having to worry about lengthy itineraries.
10. SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
With the increase in social accountability and travelers
increasingly coming to terms with the effect of certain
activities on the environment, sustainable travel is increasingly
becoming a part of the travel mainstream. When people think
about sustainability in travel, they often only think about the
green footprint aspect, but it goes much deeper than that to
also embrace support for the protection of cultural and natural
heritage, along with social and economic benefits for local
people in destinations throughout the world.
11. VOLUNTOURISM
Volunteering is getting an entirely new identity with
voluntourism, a growing trend in travel today, with more than
1.6 million volunteer tourists traveling each year, most of them
students looking to fill their gap years or professionals interested
in making a difference. With this, travelers are looking to
make a difference across various communities, specifically in
developing countries.
12. ADVENTURE TRAVEL
With travelers getting increasingly adventurous on their trips,
there is no experience that’s off limits today. Whether it’s
surfing, parasailing, bungee jumping, snorkeling, spelunking,
kayaking, kite boarding, trekking, or hiking, and so much more,
adventure has become a watchword for the travel industry.
Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

A double bed is ready in Business Class.
SIA with new cabin
Singapore Airlines unveiled its highly-anticipated new cabin
products which will be fitted to its Airbus A380 fleet, following
an extensive four-year development programme.
Riding on the theme of “Space made personal, experience the
difference”, the new cabin offerings provide more space and
privacy in all classes, featuring intimate and bespoke elements
designed especially for the Singapore Airlines customer.
They will enter service next month on the first of five new
A380 aircraft entering the fleet. Retrofit work will also take
place on 14 existing aircraft, to ensure product consistency
across the Airline’s entire A380 fleet.
The new Singapore Airlines A380 will be configured with 471
seats in four classes, featuring six Singapore Airlines Suites
and 78 Business Class seats on the upper deck, as well as 44
Premium Economy Class seats and 343 Economy Class seats
on the main deck.
Singapore Airlines Suites
With six Suites tucked spaciously within the front cabin
of the upper deck, customers will experience a sense of
exclusivity and intimate privacy aboard the A380.
Behind its artistically-designed sliding door lies a personal
oasis complete with lavish furnishing and finishes. Each
Suite is furnished with a separate full-flat bed with adjustable
recline and plush leather chair, enabling customers to lounge
comfortably in the chair or rest in bed without the need to
convert the bed from a sitting position.
Business Class with double bed
Measuring 25 inches in width, the Business Class seat, which
has two side wings for better back support, reclines directly
into a comfortable full-flat bed (78 inches).
Customers may also stretch out fully in a ‘sun-deck’ position
to watch movies on the 18-inch high definition touch-screen
monitor.
Lobster though is only served on First Class.
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>> Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

Lots of space and entertainement on Eco Class.
A larger back shell on every seat creates a cocoon-like feel for
more privacy while the centre divider can be fully lowered to
form double beds, making the two centre seats an ideal choice
for customers such as families travelling together.
Seats in the Business Class cabin are arranged in a forward-facing,
four-abreast (1-2-1) configuration that offers all customers direct
access to the aisle.
Other features include a business panel equipped with USB ports
and in-seat power, reading lights with adjustable brightness level,
mood lighting, enlarged dining table designed for flexibility in
dining positions, as well as stowage space for personal amenities
with a thoughtful design that puts everything within easy reach.
Premium Economy Class
Premium Economy Class comes with a contemporary and
stylish design. Each seat is 19.5 inches wide.
Economy Class
The Economy Class seat, offers more space and greater
comfort through an improved design. Leveraging on advanced
technology and ergonomics, seats offer more legroom and back
support, with a six-way adjustable headrest with foldable wings.
“The significant investment that we are making with the
introduction of new cabinproducts demonstrates our
commitment to continued investment in products and services,
our long-term approach to ensure we retain our leadership
position, and our confidence in the future of premium fullservice
air travel,” said SIA CEO Mr. Goh Choon Phong.
“The new cabin products are the culmination of four years of work,
involving extensive customer research and close partnerships
with our designers and suppliers. We are confident that the
results will genuinely ‘wow’ our customers, and ensure that we
continue to provide them an unparalleled travel experience.”
SINGAPORE
AIRLINES’
NEW CABIN
PRODUCTS
Singapore Airlines announced today that
its eagerly awaited new cabin products
will be fitted to its entire Airbus A380
fleet, including retrofit work on 14
aircraft that are already in service.
The announcement was made in
Singapore at the global launch of the
Airline’s new cabin products, which will
start entering service next month on the
first of five new A380s on order with
Airbus. Retrofit work will start in late
2018 on the 14 existing A380s1 that will
be fitted with the new products, with all
targeted for completion in 2020.
Singapore Airlines was the launch
operator of the A380 when it took delivery
of the world’s first superjumbo in 2007.
The new aircraft configuration will carry
up to 471 customers in four classes of
travel, with six Singapore Airlines Suites,
78 Business Class seats, 44 Premium
Economy Class seats and 343 Economy
Class seats.
“Singapore Airlines set new industry
benchmarks for premium full-service
Singapore Airlines was the launch
operator of the A380 when it took delivery
of the world’s first superjumbo in 2007.
The new aircraft configuration will carry
up to 471 customers in four classes of
travel, with six Singapore Airlines Suites,
78 Business Class seats, 44 Premium
Economy Class seats and 343 Economy
Class seats.
“The introduction of our all-new cabin
products is intended to ensure we retain
our product leadership position. The
significant investment in the new product
and service offerings demonstrates that
we are always listening to our customers,
and ensuring that we continue to deliver
the world’s best travel experience.”
Singapore Airlines’ A380s currently serve
Auckland, Beijing, Frankfurt, Hong
Kong, London, Melbourne, Mumbai,
New Delhi, New York, Paris, Shanghai,
Sydney, and Zurich.
Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

Safest airlines for 2018
The global safety and product rating website,
AirlineRatings.com, has announced
its top 20 safest airlines for 2018 from the
409 it monitors.
The top twenty are the who’s who of airlines
and in alphabetical order are: Air
New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon
Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific
Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways,
EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan
Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas,
Royal Jordanian Airlines, SAS, Singapore
Airlines, Swiss, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin
Australia.
“These airlines are standouts in the industry
and are at the forefront of safety and
innovation,” said AirlineRatings.com Editor-in-Chief
Geoffrey Thomas.
USA losing
visitors
Minus 5,9 % comparing 2017 to 2016 in
overseas visitors.
The Top 15 Overseas Source Markets (UK,
Japan, China, Germany, South Korea,
Brazil, France, Australia, India, Italy,
Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Netherlands
and Sweden) produce almost 7 out of every
10 (68.5 percent) of overseas visitors to the
United States.
The Trump factor.
There is no doubt that a year full of Donald
Trump as president of the United States
has had its impact on travel to the United
States from abroad. There have been several
actual surveys that have given dimension to
the unpopularity—a poll in Mexico which
showed that Trump’s approval rating was 5
percent, an all-time low for a U.S. president;
a travel agent survey in the UK in which a
majority of agents said that they would not
visit the U.S. because of trump; and occasional
articles in the travel trade press in
Europe indicating that sale of USA product
were off because of Trump—but travelers
in some high performing markets, such
as China, South Korea and part of the Eurozone,
don’t seem to care. There also is the
temptation to look at Mexico’s declining
visitation numbers to the USA and its record
increase in visitation to Canada this
year and make a correlation that many
Mexicans are forgoing a trip to the USA in
SAS is among the safest airlines.
“For instance, Australia’s Qantas has
been recognized by the British Advertising
Standards Association in a test case in
2008 as the world’s most experienced airline.”
“It is extraordinary that Qantas has been
the lead airline in virtually every major
operational safety advancement over the
past 60 years and has not had a fatality in
the jet era,” said Mr Thomas.
“But Qantas is not alone. Long established
airlines such as Hawaiian and Finnair
have perfect records in the jet era.”
Responding to public interest, the company
also identified its top ten safest low-cost
airlines.
These are in alphabetical order: Aer Lingus,
Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, Jetblue,
Jetstar Australia, Thomas Cook, Virgin
America, Vueling and Westjet.
In making its selections. website takes into
account numerous critical factors that include;
audits from aviation’s governing
bodies and lead associations; government
audits; airline’s crash and serious incident
record and fleet age.
AirlineRatings.com also announced its
lowest ranked (one star) airlines which
are; Air Koryo, Bluewing Airlines, Buddha
Air, Nepal Airlines, Tara Air, Trigana
Air Service and Yeti Airlines.
favor of a trip to Canada because of Trump.
Trump is also deemed responsible for the
USA’s decline as a brand: the latest Anholt-
GfK Nations Brand IndexSM showed that
the U.S. had fallen from Number 1 to Number
6, with Trump seen as the main reason.
“The USA’s fall in the governance category
suggests that we are witnessing a ‘Trump
effect’, following President Trump’s focused
political message of ‘America First,’”
said Professor Simon Anholt, who created
the Index in 2005.
The Top 15 Overseas Source Markets
UK 2017 Arrivals: 1,935,079
Change vs. 2016: Down 6.2 percent
INBOUND prediction for 2018: Down 4
percent, plus or minus.
Here’s Why: Unlike the relationship of the
euro, the British pound has not crept back
to a level that makes the purchase of a U.S.
holiday less of a strain than it has been for
the past year-and-a-half, ever since the June
23, 2016 referendum in which Britons voted
to exit (“Brexit”) the European Union. The
pound was trading at $1.49 on the day of
the vote and dropped as low as $1.20 in
mid-January 2017 and clawed its way back
to the $1.30 to $1.34 range, which is where it
was in mid-December. Ten percent is a lot,
especially when it costs that much more to
buy a U.S. holiday package for a family of
four.
The 18 months following the Brexit vote
seems to have fatigued the British traveler,
as occasional reports has pointed to an increase
in the number of Brits taking “staycations,”
even if they consider a proper holiday
an innate right. And while the Trump
factor has had its impact on the holiday
plans of some Brits, the uncertainty and
concern over Brexit, which is scheduled to
go into effect on March 29, 2019, is causing
more havoc and stoking the fires of fear in
the UK, with suggestions that flights out of
the country could be limited and the cost of
doing trade with the EU could increase in
many areas. All of the above will decrease
the number of UK arrivals by 4 percent or
so in 2018.
SWEDEN 2017 Arrivals: 260,472
Change vs. 2016: Down 5.4 percent
INBOUND prediction for 2018: No change
from 2017.
Here’s why: It is sometimes easy for us to
forget about Sweden as—depending on
how the outbound tourism market is performing
in Switzerland or Venezuela or
Ireland—it sometimes does not make
Number 15 on the list of Top 15 Overseas
Source. It is really impressive, however, that
it makes the list at all, as it has the smallest
population (9.9 million) of any Top 15
country. Yet, it sent about 5.6 percent of its
total population—more than 1 out of every
20 Swedes—to the U.S. in 2016. Sweden
will be in a bit of a recovery mode in the
coming year. The number of visitors it sent
to the U.S. in 2016 (559,000) was a 5 percent
decline from 2015—although from
2009 to 2016, its visitor count to the U.S.
increased by 72 percent—from 324,000
to 559,000. The cause for the 2016 decline
mirrored, in part, by what happened to the
countries of the Eurozone with the euro.
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>> Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

BEAR HUNT IN GREENLAND
Being unchanged since 2010, Greenland
authorities will in 2018 rise the amount of
polar bears to be shop by the local people.
140 ice bears has been shot every year,
but now the Greenland government has
accepted that 158 polar bears can be shot
in 2018.
It is in the Baffin Bay most af the hunting
will take place. Now it is 80 bears, which
is 20 % more than last year.
It is only locals, that can hunt polar bears. Foreign hunters can find moscus oxes as the biggest trophy.
Cruiseships at risk in polar sea
The Norwegian shipyard Vard
Søviknes will now build the first
real cruise ship in the world
tailored to sail to and from the
North Pole or around Antartica.
It is the French luxury cruise line
Ponant who has ordered the ship,
called the "Ponant Icebreaker". It is
expected to be delivered in spring
2021. Price: EUR 700 million.
Sea ice cover in Antarctica dropped to
a record low this year, scientists says,
as they warned the frozen continent's
unpredictable nature poses growing risks
to shipping including tourist cruises.
Scientists from around the world meeting
the Tasmanian capital Hobart to discuss sea
ice fluctuations and improved navigation
and forecasting, as tourists flock to the
ocean in greater numbers.
Satellite images confirm the continent's
sea ice fell to its lowest maximum and
minimum levels this year since satellite
observations began in 1979, they said.
"It appears that both the summertime
minimum and the wintertime maximum
sea ice extent around Antarctica have set
new record lows," said Jan Lieser from
the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems
Cooperative Research Centre.
While climate change may have played a
part, he said it was still too early to draw any
clear link, "simply because the variability
in the Antarctic sea ice system is so high".
"We still have a lot more work to do to
understand the fundamental oceanic and
atmospheric processes driving sea ice
variability in Antarctica," added Lieser.
The data showed the lowest recorded
minimum sea ice cover on March 1 at 2.075
million square kilometres, with the lowest
maximum on September 12 at 18.013
million square kilometres.
But only three years ago, ice levels hit a
record high of more than 20 million square
kilometres, illustrating the huge challenges
sea traffic must deal with.
Lieser said the extreme swings made it
vitally important to better understand
ocean conditions to make credible forecasts
for polar shipping.
As well as resupply ships, some 50 cruise
vessels carried almost 35,000 tourists to the
Antarctic last year to witness its ice shelves,
soaring glaciers and wildlife.
"We have seen a number of private and
commercial ships becoming stuck in the
Antarctic sea ice in recent years, which
have led to costly rescue operations that
can delay scientific work," said Lieser.
In late 2013, a Russian ship carrying 74
scientists, passengers and crew became
trapped in Antarctica.
It triggered a two-week rescue operation
coordinated by Australian authorities
which included French, Chinese, American
and German agencies, during which a
Chinese icebreaker also became stuck.
The diversion of several governments'
Antarctic programme resources drew
criticism, with an Australian resupply
ship running two weeks behind schedule
and French scientists having to scrap an
oceanographic campaign.
The International Ice Charting Group,
with 60 representatives from 12 countries,
wants to ensure such a situation does not
happen again.
New manager for marketing
Ida Vahl has been chosen as new manager of Destination South Greenland.
The destination will continue to develop “Farm Holidays” and It will be her job
to collect material internal and external about the possibilities of country holiday
possibilities.
This summer part of South Greenland was declared part of UNESCO World Heritage,
which also will be a big information platform.
Santa does
not come from
Greenland -
anymore
At least not to attract tourists.
VisitGreenland drops the official
story that Santa, his niches, reindeer
and workshop have an address in
Greenland. Instead, Finland, who has
also told a similar story, can get him.
'Santa Claus is known in Denmark for
coming from Greenland. But in many
other countries, he connects with
Finland. And the circus the Finns run,
we can not compete with, "says Lykke
Geisler Yakaboylu, Director of Visit
Greenland.
In Finland, for example, you have a
"Santa's Village" where tourists can visit
the Santa's workshop.
“Earlier there was a Santa House in
Nuuk, but it was never any financial
success, so it died out. We still say when
we are asked that he is from Greenland,
we do not just use it actively in our
marketing.“
But the story does not completely
disappear.
"Among ordinary people, there is good
support for the story of Greenland as
the Santa's home. When staying here,
it's blasphemous to say something
else, "says Steffen Fog, travel leader in
Greenland.
Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia

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Stopover in Iceland up to seven days without additional airfare.