Sunday, July 20, 2008 The Art of Predicting and the Farsighted Travel Writer

As travel journalists we are accustomed to doing a lot of second-guessing, which is another way of saying predicting. It’s also called staying ahead of the game; knowing which way the journalistic winds are blowing.

Hey, I can mix metaphors with the best of them.

Of necessity we are constantly obliged to assess and reassess how this industry works, and to figure out the complex synchronicity of content and context. What are the latest travel trends? What new and exciting destination is hot-to-trot? How can I get myself there and turn the experience into a Pulitzer Prize-winning story? (In the background you will hear Perry Como singing “Dream Along With Me.”)

There’s nothing wrong with dreaming; it can be a manifestation of vision. On the other hand, we do live most of our lives in a reality-based world, so more often than not we have to remind ourselves to get real. Above all, we have to remember that our perceptions of “where the world is at” in terms of travel and tourism can be highly influenced by our own North American (and perhaps ethnocentric) frame of reference.

Geoffrey Lipman is the Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Recently he delivered the keynote speech at the UK Tourism Society’s Annual Meeting. At first glance, his speech “Emerging Tourism Markets ―The Coming Economic Boom” seemed somewhat contradictory. While there is much evidence that tourism in certain parts of the world is in pretty bad shape (see “The Impending Crisis in the Canadian Tourism Industry”), Lipman presents a global picture that is quite promising, and perhaps rather startling for travelers and travel journalists, especially in the long term.

As a key spokesperson for the UNWTO, Lipman focuses on three fundamental issues. First of all he points to important statistical information. His stats indicate a very significant “imminent” growth rate in global travel and tourism; 1.6 billion people will be travelling internationally by 2020. Now thinking ahead 16 years may seem a bit of a stretch, but that growth process is already well underway and the 2020 number represents twice the number of globe-trotting travellers there were out and about in 2007. The essential message here is that when there are that many “travel consumers” rushing hither and yon on the planet, they will need all the usual services ― especially information. Well, who are the principal information providers? The folks in the PR field of course. But who are the handmaidens to those who wish to attract and maintain their market share of this worldwide industry? How about travel journalists?

Lipman’s second issue is that of geopolitics and what he calls “the emergence of quadruple bottom line sustainability.” I will admit to having some difficulty in following his thought process here, however what I think he is suggesting is that sustainability is a far more complex economic phenomenon than we think, and a key element is climate change. He points out for example, that tourism is now seen by the powers that be in nations around the world (especially emerging and often “poor” nations) as “the best foreign direct investment system ever invented.” This means that national governments now realize that their tourism products are essentially “export” products that bring much needed revenue (i.e. visitors) into the country and consequently those tourism revenues are the principal agent of social development in the “host” country. But it’s all about context, new global realities, and adapting to change.

It’s a two-sided equation (as all equations are) because although emerging nations represent new and innovative travel experiences, they also represent new target markets for our homegrown travel destinations. One of the most popular mini-destinations in the province in which I live is the resort town of Gravenhurst, birthplace of a hero to the Chinese people, a man who is buried in the Mausoleum of Martyrs, Shi Cha Chang, China. (See: Norman Bethune: A Doctor Without Borders).

And China is the best example of the new global math. It seems that everyone is trying to get their market share of the growing middle class of Chinese travelers, also referred to as the “outbound China market.” That market alone, according to Lipman, will inject hundreds of millions of “Euros” [sic] into the economies of the world’s poorest countries. He makes reference as well to India which he describes as being “on a smaller but equally mega scale.” Well, the critical path in his reasoning is clear, as is the exponential effect. Therefore Kyrgyzstan (“The Switzerland of Central Asia”) will soon be on the world traveller’s must-see hotlist. As travel journalists therefore, we can begin to start dialoguing and developing a relationship with that nation’s tourism marketing authority, even though it is currently in its infancy. And dare we hope that the treasures of Afghanistan, a nation that for centuries benefitted from the civilizing effect of the caravan route, will soon be available to us? Or those of Iraq?

Lipman’s third issue seems to revolve around the role of the UNWTO itself and its mandate and obligation to influence and mediate (or mitigate) the shifting global market share and the rapidly growing tourism markets of poorer nations. Although poor, often desperately so, they are a growth industry in themselves and we as travel journalists need to anticipate and predict how we can eventually play a role in the socio-economic-political development of such developing nations.

But we also have to be ready, proactive even. Perhaps through our collective associations, like TravelJourno, we can make sure that such emerging nations understand clearly how we can also play a critical role in emerging travel market economies that support and promote the best of globalization. Perhaps we as journalists need to work more in concert with each other as opposed to marketing our wares and ourselves individually. In this regard, Lipman points to the international cooperative mega summits on such issues as the environment, poverty, international debt and trade deficits, and climate change, all of which will have a direct and indirect impact on travel and tourism by the injection of “multi trillion sums earmarked for poor countries” and such “simple” issues as more flights to poor countries in order for tourism to be both a development lifeline and mitigation.

I was fortunate to get a glimpse of this new global travel phenomenon first –hand on a media trip to Gujarat, India (an emerging destination-within-a-destination). My principal lesson in visiting Gujarat was actually a reawakening of my own need to apply a much broader frame of reference to any destination, whether it be tried and true or emerging. Before going to India and Gujarat, I consulted all the “mainstream” travel guides, which seemed to do their best to scare the pants off me, leading me to believe that I would be overwhelmed by India, would get sick, would be traumatized by the pollution and poverty, would be culturally isolated, and therefore should go with those eventualities in mind. It is my belief that these “expert” resources, which of course did provide me with a lot of good practical information, also predisposed me to encountering a faceless nation. Nothing could have been further from the truth, and the story that emerged from that trip was called The Faces of Gujarat: Experiencing India Subliminally.

So what does this mean to travel journalists, especially in North America? Well maybe it means, “arrive early” and travel in-depth. Maybe it means finding English language publishing outlets in China to which we can sell stories about Canada or the United States. Maybe there is a destination close to home that is twinned with a city in China ― and therein lies the story. Or maybe the story is titled “Chinatown USA-Canada” and has the kind interconnectivity that Lipman has identified.

“But the numbers of potential travelers are so huge and the logic of targeting tourism for development so pervasive that the long term growth prospects will remain substantial by any measure.” ― Geoffrey Lipman

This article was first published in the TravelJourno newsletter.

Posted by Bob Fisher at 4:11 AM 0 comments Wednesday, June 18, 2008 The Impending Crisis in the Canadian Tourism Industry

I am loathe to begin in the "if it bleeds it leads" mode, but this time, it may be appropriate, especially since the media release from the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) leads with the phrase "on the brink of crisis."

So stay calm folks. Don't panic. Hmmm ... if anyone actually said that to me, I think the first thing I might do is get a tad excited. I might not panic, but my level of "concern" would likely be at or above "level orange." However, the first question I would ask is, "Are we in a crisis or not?" What's this "on the brink" business? How can we be just a little bit pregnant?

There is probably a lesson here for any travel and tourism destination around the world. So I'll begin with the big picture — starting with the world.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Barometer, the travel and tourism industry worldwide is in very good shape. As a matter of fact, in 2007 international tourist "arrivals" (the number of visitors to destinations outside their home countries) grew by an estimated six per cent. This is a new record; nearly 900 million travellers. The UNWTO points out that this is very significant because the 800 million mark was reached only two years earlier, and the figure represents nearly 52 million more arrivals than in 2006. Furthermore, world tourism had a fourth consecutive year of growth in 2007, above and beyond the the long-term forecast of 4.1 per cent.

So who's getting all this business? I'll get to that in a moment; but first we must remember that travel and tourism is an industry that has (as the TIAC points out) a direct impact on national, regional, and local economies. The guy selling hot dogs outside the museum in beautiful downtown Canada depends on foreign visitors. I have heard more than once that the travel and tourism industry is the largest on the planet; but have often wondered if that stat was accurate. However, if you take into consideration every business that profits in some way from what Professor John Adams of University College, London has termed the global "hypermobility" (brought about by societal changes in the latter part of the 20th century) then it makes sense. Air travel of course is a major factor.

In the hypermobile 21st century, however, it isn't all good news. More people may be going more places, but the polarization of rich and poor is increasing; destinations everywhere (and the communities within them) are facing dramatic (often serious) social and environmental changes. And the infrastructures that support travel and tourism are not necessarily moving ahead at the same rate.

So who is getting all the travel business? Well, not Canada. This may surprise you but of all the travel and tourism regions defined by the UNWTO, the Middle East is in the lead and is emerging as a strong (not the strongest) tourism destination. Of the 52 million arrivals estimated by the UNWTO for 2007, Europe got 19 million; Asia and the Pacific 17 million; but only six million for the Americas! The Middle East, by the way, got five million.

So what's Canada doing wrong? Well maybe nothing. After all, who wouldn't want to visit Canada? C'mon! It's a clean, safe country, with great destinations. What world-class destination can beat Banff National Park ... or Montréal's Festival international de jazz? And besides, Canadians are just so darn nice. Like one of our national symbols, the beaver (castor canadensis), we are industrious, clean-living, non-confrontational, fully adapted to the wild, and excellent house-builders. We also have excellent dental hygiene and mind our own business. But on the other hand, maybe it's just a whole new ball game and we have gotten rather too complacent about Canada as a preferred destination.

That seems to be an underlying theme in the TIAC media release. According to it, "The Canadian tourism industry is on the precipice of an unprecedented decline...." and this could have "a massive impact on the 1.6 million Canadians whose jobs depend on this sector." In the release, Randy Williams, President and CEO of TIAC, points to "structural burdens on our industry." While calling on governments at all levels in Canada to implement urgent action, he does concede that there are economic factors that governments cannot control. The main two at the moment are (a) fuel prices and (b) a strong Canadian dollar.

Sheesh! Most of the world is dealing with high gasoline prices; but after so many years of a weak Canadian dollar, we finally reach par with the U.S. buck and we end up shooting ourselves in the foot because we are no longer a cheap and accessible destination for Americans — our best customers — who, by the way, are also trolling big time for tourist dollars/euros/yen/whatever by implementing patriotic "Buy American" tourism marketing campaigns.

The TIAC media release goes on to identify our home-grown governments as the bad guys, declaring that "Governments have traditionally neglected the industry, and have tended to regard tourism as a source of taxation dollars." According to TIAC, tourism is an "export industry" that contributes $20 billion annually to government tax revenues. And get this. TIAC says that when it comes to our tourism export products, we have ended up with a deficit in 2007 of $10.3 billion! I have some difficulty getting my head around this because even though I can see how Canadian tourism is an export product, the customers have to come here to get it. It's not as if they can pop down to the local megamall or convenience store and pick up some Canadiana.

And even though TIAC is urging Canadian governments and the whole Canadian travel and tourism industry itself to get with the new global marketing realities, once again they point out that geopolitics raises its ugly head.

In the media release (under the bolded subhead Access to Canada), they point out, "One example of competing on an even playing field is the lack of agreement on Approved Destination Status with China, the fastest growing outbound market in the world." This too is ironic given that according to the latest Canadian census, Chinese has become the third most used language in Canada.

So, what to do? Well TIAC is calling for the following:

Product Animation.

By this they mean better marketing, or in their words, "... we need to ensure that there are persuasive and compelling reasons to visit our country... and that the products that we currently offer are world-class ... [and] must be enhanced continually to meet changing market trends....

Better Access to Canada.

The main issue here is the "unsustainable cost burden" facing the air travel sector, i.e. all those additional taxes and fuel surcharges added to your airline ticket. TIAC is also calling for Open Skies/bilateral agreements with key countries that represent our best markets. They also think our governments (led I assume by the federal government) should get its act together and get us properly designated for the emerging leisure market in China. (The U.S and even Trinidad and Tobago have such status.)

New Tourism Products.

This also surprises me. What do we need more product for when we have so much sitting on the shelf. Well according to TIAC, we need "an investment climate conducive to public/private partnerships in the development of new tourism products ... to enable Canada to begin to compete with the new tourism products and services in emerging and rival destinations. I sure hope that doesn't mean more casinos or theme parks.

A National Tourism Strategy.

TIAC has already got the ball rolling in this regard within its own organization, and it has identified key themes and issues such as: sustainable tourism; carefully defining and differentiating between pleasure/leisure travel, business travel, and personal travel; aboriginal tourism; adventure tourism; agritourism; cultural and heritage tourism; ecotourism; learning and enrichment travel; nature-based travel; sport tourism; wellness tourism; wine/culinary tourism; winter tourism; spa tourism. Winter tourism? You bet! And Québec of course has been doing this very well for a long time. Mon pays, ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver!

Get the Americans!

Now TIAC has not specifically said this, but the Statistics Canada website tells me (surprise, surprise) that the United States of America is our biggest customer. With reference to our kissing cousins to the south, I need to draw your attention to the following stat from TIAC's Report on Canada's Tourism Competitiveness:

"Eighty-six per cent of non-resident travel to Canada in 2006 was by visitors from the United States. However, compared to 2000, U.S. visitation to Canada in 2007 has dropped 41%. Canada's travel deficit with the U.S. has ballooned to $7.1 billion in 2007."

And apparently, because we now have a stronger dollar, Canadians are heading south of the border again in record numbers. This is, in part, because the U.S. dollar has been devalued against other currencies around the world. And that means that visitors from outside North America are getting a lot more bang for their buck in the U.S.

You can't win!

So why can't non-North Americans get a bit of that bang north of the 49th parallel? January in Canada can be nice. You don't have to eat citrus all the time!

My fellow Canadians ... what shall we do to build a better "learning and enrichment travel" market. Suggestions please?

Also for your consideration

Sports Tourism: The Hampton, Virginia Model

Worldview: First Peoples, First Principles

Tourism Industry Association of Canada

Canada.Travel

Canadian Tourism Commission

Are you a non-Canadian travel journalist? see what the Canadian Tourism Commission can do for you. Click on "Media Centre" on the home page.

Interested in visiting Canada?

Click on "Destinations" in the left-hand column of this webpage, and then click on "Canada."

Posted by Bob Fisher at 11:48 AM 0 comments Friday, May 23, 2008 Why Cultural Industries Are Good for Business

Cultural gemstones

Whenever I know I am going to be “in the neighbourhood” (on a media trip to a specific destination) I always look for grassroots secondary stories that might fit my style and my interests. I figure if I have come “all this way” I might as well make the most of the opportunity. As it often turns out, I discover some wonderful destinations-within-the-destination.

This happened recently when I was on assignment in Houma, Louisiana (COMING SOON: “Wetlands, World of Experience, and Self-determination”); and of course my entry point was New Orleans. So to spend two extra nights in the Big Easy was easy enough to arrange. Therefore I did my research and discovered the exquisite Ogden Museum of Southern Art. This secondary story, a “quickie” in some respects, eventually became “The Ogden Museum of Southern Art: The Resilience of Culture in the American South.”

The reason this story “worked” so well for me is, primarily that this wonderful museum is in an artistic sense very integrated into and representative of The South. But even more importantly, the Ogden is directly involved with the rebuilding of New Orleans; it is a social institution that, along with many others, is at “the heart of the matter.”

The comprehensive nature of the arts institution

My particular interest in terms of focused travel stories is the arts, or what is generally referred to now as the cultural industries. The latter is a rather comprehensive term that has entered the travel and tourism lexicon because increasingly communities are discovering how their many cultural industries (museums; art galleries; national or state heritage sites; national monuments and landmarks; ethnic communities and neighborhoods; festivals and fairs; theatre; music; and even horticultural venues not only add directly to a community’s coffers, but may also be the prime reason people visit the destination.

What you may not know about cultural tourism

I invite you to examine the following stats. (Please note that the stats below come from a number of sources.)

• According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, cultural industries worldwide are estimated to account for 7 percent of the world’s gross domestic product.

• In Canada, a study in our Atlantic coast island province of Newfoundland and Labrador, estimates that for every dollar spent in tourism marketing, there is a return of $10 generated by new tourism expenditures.

• In China, the rise of what is known as “cultural industries” is seen as the next step along a path from a developing nation to a world power.

• A growing number of travelers rank the arts, heritage, and other cultural attractions as one of the top five reasons they visit a destination.

• Tourism authorities now spend considerable time and money defining who these “cultural tourists” are.

• In the United States, almost 120 million adult Americans indicate that they included at least one arts-oriented attraction in their travel plans in recent years. One quarter of these same travelers take three or more trips a year.

• Cultural travellers are not passive tourists; they know what they want. And what they want is a meaningful travel experience and an enriching experience.

• In the United States travelers are increasingly choosing more rural and out-of-the-way destinations that focus in part on cultural, historic, and natural resources.

• The statistic that surprised me the most, however, was that it is the 18-34 demographic that is most represented in cultural tourism. (They also tend to be wealthier, more educated, and more technologically savvy.) I expected the principal target group to be the 50+ crowd in our aging society, maybe because that’s where I currently reside.

In the United States the top destinations for cultural tourism according to the last report I saw are:

1. California 2. Texas 3. New York 4. Florida 5. Pennsylvania 6. Virginia 7. Illinois 8. Tennessee 9. North Carolina 10. Georgia

In my discussion with David Houston, Curator of the Ogden (but also art educator, historian, cultural anthropologist, sociologist, philosopher, arts activist, and social conscience), David emphasized that the Ogden and the cultural industries in general are all about sustainability, and that following Katrina he and his staff were determined to fulfill their responsibilities to the community by continuing to make the Ogden a community center, a place of normality, and a place of refuge.

It’s not just about paintings hanging on a wall.

To read and listen to “The Ogden Museum of Southern Art: The Resilience of Culture in the American South,” click here.

Posted by Bob Fisher at 8:04 AM 0 comments Wednesday, April 9, 2008 The "Death of the Newspaper"... and the Implications For the Travel Industry The reliable source?

When I want a comprehensive analysis (in print and on paper) of a news event or some other issue on the planet that I really feel I cannot ignore any longer, I wait by the door mid-week for the Canada Post letter carrier to drop my copy of The New Yorker magazine through the mail slot.

Experience has taught me that what I will get in terms of information will be well-researched, well-written, and in a style that supports what my high school English teacher taught us was the essence of good writing — the CUE Factor (coherence, unity, and emphasis). Unlike other print publications, I can always count on The New Yorker to treat me, the reader, with respect and to engage me in its intelligent discourse. The magazine, its cover especially, does not incite me to a riot of over-the-top reactions to the subject matter. This does not mean that The New Yorker is adverse to going for the jugular when, in the opinion of the contributors and editors, that approach is warranted.

Having said that, I also recognize that The New Yorker is a media outlet that reflects a United States of America frame of reference; but the magazine's style and journalistic integrity have always made that perspective an added bonus.

However, it was with some trepidation that I began to read Eric Alterman's recent nine-page article titled "Out of Print: The death and life of the American newspaper" in the March 31, 2008 issue. I guess it was the word "death" that caught me slightly off-guard. Initially, I didn't notice the "life" in the title.

The article does not disappoint; it is a concise investigative report on that highly valued social institution known as the newspaper. But the facts are rather startling. As Alterman points out, "Since 1990, a quarter of all American newspaper jobs have disappeared. The columnist Molly Ivins complained, shortly before her death, that the newspaper companies’ solution to their problem was to make “our product smaller and less helpful and less interesting." Yikes! Imagine ending your career and life on a sour note like that.

In the article, he also gives a brief historical overview of the American newspaper and its role as social advocate and critic. But he also tells it like it is. According to Alterman's source, media entrepreneur Alan Mutter, "Independent, publicly traded American newspapers have lost forty-two per cent of their market value in the past three years..." and "America’s most prized journalistic possessions are suddenly looking like corporate millstones." The monopoly that a "dominant" newspaper used to have in a mid-size American city, on information or advertising revenue (Alterman refers to it as "a license to print money") is no more. And, of course the culprit in the alleged offing of the newspaper is none other than the Internet, which according to Alterman "is about to pass newspapers as a source of political news for American readers. For young people, and for the most politically engaged, it has already done so."

So what?

What Alterman goes on to explore, however, is not quite so simple as "newspapers are dying." The article is also an examination of the nature of news itself. For those of us who were part of what would now appear to be the old school of media literacy-media studies, questioning what is news and what is not, is ... um ... nothing new. However, Alterman's analysis raises new questions particularly of the nature of the traditional newspaper (the "broad audience, with conflicting values and opinions, by virtue of its commitment to the goal of objectivity") versus "The Web", which (in Alterman's words) "provides a powerful platform that enables the creation of communities; [in which] distribution is frictionless, swift, and cheap."

But before you finish processing those two concepts, you may want to read what he has to say about the historical role of the newspaper as "a nation talking to itself," and the suggestion that that the online world isn't the enemy of the newspaper but a saviour if they embrace it — which many print outlets are scrambling to do.

And Alterman's thesis of the changing culture of news and media in all its hues and shades, especially "the rapid transformation that has taken place in the public’s understanding of, and demand for, “news” itself" is grist for the media literacy mill.

Newspapers and travel "reporting"

Newspapers of course have not just been "hard news"; the traditional weekend travel section has always been a source of information for the public about where in the world to go, how, for how much, and why. The newspaper travel articles, reports, editorials — or however we categorize and define them — have always been a critical component of a destination's marketing strategy, not to mention the bread and butter of travel writers.

But just as Alterman re-opens the debate over the nature of news, his analysis of the state of affairs of newspapers today also brings into question the nature of travel writing. This discussion is nothing new to those who travel and write about it. What is "true" travel journalism, what is travel "writing," what is traveltainment (my coinage as far as I can tell) yadda yadda yadda, is also an ongoing debate. For those of us freelancers who accept partially or totally sponsored media trips, are we just another mouthpiece for our "news" or travel outlets? Surely everyone knows by now that any media outlet has an "agenda" — cultural (ethnocentric?), political, commercial, and editorial.

It goes without saying that the Internet has democratized access to information (unless you live in a nation like China which continues to block access to certain websites ... um ... like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's), but as Miss Wyatt would have said (my high school English teacher), "Is the information accurate or enlightening?" Just because it is (a) delivered on newsprint or glossy stock through the mail slot or (b) electronically, is it any good?

Sigh. Caveat emptor. Caveat lector.

Whether the "stuff" is communicated on papyrus, on paper, in stone, by passenger pigeon, by telepathy, or digitally, it seems to me that a lot of the same journalistic, qualitative, aesthetic, and ethical principles still apply, albeit with some 21st-century twists. All roads may lead to Rome, but some of them may go through Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on the way.

To read the complete New Yorker article, click here. Posted by Bob Fisher at 8:20 AM 0 comments Tuesday, March 11, 2008 So, What Airline Club Do You Belong to? 2008-03-11 11:20:15Add your comment. On the wings of Horus

The lead editorial/feature in Horus, the in-flight magazine of EgyptAir has an air of controlled excitement about it; this is after all the management talking. In this particular case it is important for EgyptAir to get the “imminent” good news out, but at the same time not sound too over-enthusiastic. It’s kind of like getting “this close” to the big break but at the same time not wanting to tempt fate.

Here’s what it’s all about.

In October 2007, just after celebrating its diamond anniversary, EgyptAir was invited to apply for membership in the club. The club in question is the Star Alliance group of airlines, the world’s largest.

It’s a big move for EgyptAir, or for any airline that has not always been considered to be playing in the big leagues. However, it is important also to point out that EgyptAir has been flying since 1932 and was the first airline in all of Africa and the Middle East to begin operations. And in contemporary terms — important given the geopolitics of the world today — EgyptAir will be the first Arab airline to join the Star Alliance.

As the world continues to evolve from a global business perspective and create all kinds of borderless alliances and economic partnerships, airline alliances are powerful entities. A small national airline, or indeed regional airline, that gets accepted into a particular club stands to gain a lot of advantages. And what’s good for the other members of the club is good for my airline … or yours.

In case you weren’t aware, there are three airline alliances in the world today: Star Alliance, Oneworld, and Skyteam. And about two thirds of all airline passengers on the planet fly, often by conscious choice, on a carrier that is affiliated with one of these big guys.

So why did EgyptAir make a pitch to Star Alliance to join the club? According to Atef Abdel Hamid, Chairman and CEO of EgyptAir Holding Company, the company engaged in an intensive study of the airline alliance marketing strategy and decided the following:

“Simply, EgyptAir realized that it was not realistic for a carrier to work separately in a very complex and changing environment, given the trend of airlines joining huge entities.”

I guess it’s a question of getting in when you can. But being accepted as a member of the club is not all that easy. The Big Alliances do a very careful vetting of the prospective member, and according to Star Alliance CEO Jaan Albrecht, it has a lot to do with what the new member brings to the table in terms of destinations that other alliance members don’t serve. Obviously safety records, service, the airlines business plan, and other quality factors play a role, but I suspect that once those “other” criteria are confirmed, it’s more about the bottom line… for all the partners. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em … or get them to join you.

And what Egyptair can offer its prospective partners is a Middle East hub in a Middle East country that is relatively stable, one of the most important tourism destinations (in terms of human civilization) in the world, and an airport that is strategically-geographically well located.

Expanding global business and marketplaces, as well as tourism — a little bit chicken and egg — is happening everywhere on the planet, even in the numerous countries of the Middle East. (All of them by the way are not in a state of war nor are they "traveller-beware" destinations — as one might assume if you only watch CNN.) Jordan, for example, which I visited recently is a magnificent destination and a modern country (not without its problems of course); but a country that describes itself as the “peace in the middle of the East.”

So what’s in it for the passenger when it comes to airline alliances?

Well, first of all, let me say that my wife and I travelled from Toronto to Cairo on Lufthansa (a Star Alliance member) by way of Frankfurt. We did our homework carefully, looking at all the possible airlines and routes — assessing especially crucial items like flight times and layover times. The YYZ-FRA-CAI Star Alliance route (Frankfurt is such an easy-on-the-nerves airport) was simply the best. For example, as most airlines leave Cairo for the return flight to Europe and elsewhere about 5:00 am in the morning, we were able to catch a 10:00 am flight that got us home to Toronto in the early evening. And one leg of that route (Cairo to Frankfurt) was on EgyptAir.

And here are the other principal advantages of joining the club:

(a) In an airline alliance routing you normally do not have to change terminals when changing flights at stopover destinations. And usually you arrive in the same terminal and just walk from one gate to the next. By the way, in the business they call this “Move Under One Roof.”

(b) If you are a Business or First Class customer, you have combined alliance lounges (therefore more of them); currently there are 666 Star Alliance lounges worldwide, as well as combined lost luggage facilities. (I hesitate to mention the latter, but we have to be “real” about this.)

(c) Routing schedules are often much better coordinated, which was our Toronto-Frankfurt-Cairo situation, with shorter layovers. But when researching or booking online, it is incumbent on the passengers to work a little harder and read the fine print, in order to “customize” their routing preferences.

(d) And we must not forget airline points, as problematic and tricky as they can be. I’m with Air Canada’s Aeroplan, but get points when I fly a Star Alliance carrier.

(e) I have been told (but it needs more research) that alliances can also benefit from economies of scale to negotiate fuel prices, for example, with suppliers and even aircraft manufacturers. One would hope (assume?) that these cost benefits would be passed on to customers. (Anyone want to do some research on that and get back to me?)

Integrated infrastructure, connectivity, and consistency can result in a happier camper

I love to travel. However, I am not wild about flying or, as a friend said to me recently, of being “subjected to the indignities” of travel. I expect many of us understand what he means. However, the more I fly, the more I understand how, all things considered, I might just be able “to work the room” a wee bit more in order to get hither and yon a touch more efficiently and with less wear and tear on my psyche.

Post scriptum

(a) The next test of my Star Alliance routing is Slovenia; Toronto to Amsterdam to Ljubljana. We will do this on Air Canada, followed by Adria Airways, Slovenia’s national airline and a Star Alliance regional partner. I’ll let you know how it goes.

(b) Horus. What a great name for EgyptAir’s in-flight magazine! There were actually two principal deities by the name of Horus in Ancient Egyptian Religion, as well as some minor ones. Horus was represented as a falcon and the name is thought to connote the "high one" or "he who is above." In terms of the mythology, he is associated with flight, the sky, and kingship because he was the son of Hathor the sun god. The cult of Horus lasted for thousands of years.

Posted by Bob Fisher at 9:17 AM 0 comments Monday, February 11, 2008 No More Choo Choo Mr. Nice Guy

I have always loved train travel, especially very exotic trips such as the train across the Alto Plano between Peru and Bolivia; the famous 14-hour Copper Canyon experience in Chihuahua, Mexico; and the bullet trains of Japan. However, I have always enjoyed and appreciated the efficiency of inter-urban European trains that are often the best way to get from A to B to C quickly, relatively inexpensively, and in comfort. However, in the car culture of North America we seem to have missed the boat ... um ... so to speak.

Recently Air Transport World, the trade magazine for the airline industry worldwide, published an intelligent article by Cathy Buyck titled "Planes versus Trains." In it Ms Buyck creates an analytical portrait of the new rail realities in Europe, with reference especially to Railteam.

The latter is a brilliant marketing partnership of rail companies and similar to airline alliances (Skyteam, Star Alliance, One World etc.). And ... it is giving European airlines (especially those popular low-cost ones) a real run for their money. The marketing strategy is, in some respects, a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want to buy a train travel product that emphasizes "intra-Europe high speed passenger rail as the faster, more reliable, more punctual and greener alternative to short-haul flights"?

In her careful analysis of the new planes versus trains competitive marketplace, Buyck also clearly demonstrates the larger issues. For example, some airlines point to what they see as the unfair subsidization of national-intranational train travel; the regulatory framework and security costs that place heavy financial burdens on airlines; and the fact that train travel may not be so squeaky green clean after all. (A study by the Royal Society indicates that 70 per cent of the electricity in the UK — which powers most trains — is generated through fossil fuels.) On the other hand, Guillaume Pepy of France's state-owned SNCF (Société nationale des chemins de fer) points out that airports are also heavily subsidized through the public purse. And yet, as Buyck points out, the networkwide average price for a high speed train ticket is 50 per cent less than the equivalent airline ticket.

Even stranger is the fact that Air France is now a code share partner with SNCF because its TGV routes starting from Charles de Gaulle airport are more economically viable and preferable to many travellers. Lufthansa also codeshares with some train routes in Germany.

So where's the truth? Of course, its the same old caveat emptor and be a travel-smart consumer conundrum. Like any marketplace — any complex and diversified travel marketplace especially — this is not a simple, clearcut, black and white situation. However ... it's looking pretty good to me.

Air Transport World (ATW)

I'm not sure how I became a subscriber to this industry magazine, but I must tell you that this is a sterling publication, extremely well-researched, written, and edited; and one that covers very important issues in a very in-depth and content-rich manner. The magazine is an excellent resource and source of consumer information for the kind of savvy traveller on the go these days. When I read ATW, I often wish that the conventional (too frequently dumbed down) travel media outlets could produce their destination stories in as literate a fashion as a trade magazine like this one.

To visit the ATW website, click here.

To visit the Railteam website, click here.

Posted by Bob Fisher at 8:10 AM 0 comments Tuesday, January 1, 2008 Travel Trends for 2008 The Ypartnership newsletter has arrived and once again it draws our attention to key realities and practicalities in the world of travel.In one of their recent studies, they have identified 16 key issues and trends will have an impact on the world of travel in North America in 2008.I find several of these of particular significance:(a) "Demand for leisure travel services (both domestic and international) will continue to grow, although at a more modest rate than observed this year because of consumers’ unprecedented level of personal debt and creeping anxiety about job security, the price of gas at the pump, interest rates and the volatility of the stock market. Nevertheless, leisure travelers will continue to fill more airline seats and hotel rooms than business travelers as the gap between the two sources of demand widens...." It is true that dyed-in-the-wool travellers will never give up the right to travel, no matter what roadblocks are put in their way. The report also confirms that, "... we are comforted by what appears to be an immutable tenet of contemporary life: to Americans, travel is a birthright, and one we will continue to exercise in one form or another regardless of uncertainty about the future."(b) "The incidence of Internet usage by consumers to plan travel experiences will remain flat (at roughly 70% of the population of business travelers, and 65% of the population of leisure travelers) while the incidence of Internet usage to book reservations will continue to grow, albeit at a much slower rate than observed in recent years." I find this a touch misleading, especially in terms of the use of the word "flat." The great leap forward in terms the general public's access to travel information via the Internet is already a fait accompli. We have come a long way baby. We have reached cruising altitude.(c) "The social networking buzz will continue to build, and for good reason: one-third of travelers regularly visit advisory web sites like tripadvisor.com to seek the opinions of those who have “been there,” and fully one-third have visited myspace.com to read a travel review...." I must admit to feeling somewhat conflicted by this information. On the one hand, I value and respect the professional skills of travel journalists who tell the stories as they (we hope) should be told. On the other hand, I am also aware that "travel stories" are often just that; stories commissioned by major media outlets which in turn have — as we all know — commercial, editorial, and even political agendas. On the third hand, if I want to really get the scoop on a destination, the first thing I do is ask someone I know who has really "been there" to tell me their version of the travel experience.(d) "The Golden Era of Baby Boom Travel will begin to unfold as the 78,000,000 adults who meet this demographic description begin to turn 60 years of age and exercise their robust sense of wanderlust (fueled by good health and more discretionary income). Hence, adult couples will continue to dominate demand for leisure travel services..." Ah the wanderlust! Yes! But wait a minute. How come our generation is particularly prone to this need? What about the generations that will follow us? Where are the next global travellers coming from? What will drive them to get out and about and bring home new perspectives?(e) "More travelers will discover and support travel service suppliers who demonstrate their commitment to environmental responsibility (eight out of ten U.S. adults now claim to be “environmentally conscious”) as the debate about carbon offset programs enters the mindset of enlightened consumers..." Good on ya travellers! (Canadian spelling eh?) However, I also remember Ypartnership reporting recently that green-minded tourists will choose the sustainable choices only if they get them for the same price. Willing spirits; weak flesh.(f) "The languishing value of the U.S. dollar is also likely to affect outbound traffic from the U.S. to international destinations (according to our recent travelhorizons™ survey, four out of ten U.S. travelers stated that further declines in the value of the U.S. dollar would affect their international travel plans..."

And 2007 ended with the Canadian dollar higher than the American dollar! Who would ever have believed it?

To read the full report, click here.2008-01-01 09:45:17 Add your comment. Posted by Bob Fisher at 6:45 AM
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