Newsletter Archives
January - March 2009 | Volume 3, Issue 1
Travel Weekly's 2008 in Review
If we're lucky, historians will mark it as the "2008-2009 recession." That's the hope, but the economic news for most of the year was so bad that some pessimists say this baby's last name is more likely to be "2010."
By whatever name, it merits the No. 1 spot in our annual review of the top issues of the year because it got everybody's attention.
The Economy
In the beginning, 2008 didn't look too bad. With the exception of the airlines, most travel industry segments had ended 2007 on fairly strong notes and had reasonable grounds for cautious optimism for the new year.
There were concerns about a credit squeeze stemming from the subprime mortgage crisis, but it didn't seem to be affecting the rest of the economy. The stock market was sliding toward Bearsville, but other economic indicators were hanging in there, and travel demand seemed to be holding up.
But the bad news started piling up as the year progressed. By midyear, fuel prices were at an all-time high, airlines were scrambling for revenue and cutting back capacity and there was no question about bears on Wall Street.
The scope of the carnage became clear in the second half of the year when the Wall Street titans started falling and the government had to rescue the insurance giant AIG, then the banks.
Cruel Fuel
The story of fuel in 2008 is nothing short of startling.
The world's airlines have endured all manner of slings and arrows in recent decades, from revolutions in government regulatory policy to strikes, storms, terrorism, congestion, recession, militant workers, militant environmentalists and militant passengers. But nothing has scared them more than the prospect of oil going north of $140 a barrel.
At that price, airline managers discovered last summer that a lot of what they had been doing simply could not be done. Certain routes could no longer be flown. At that price, the survival of their companies and the viability of their industry became serious talking points.
As the economic news worsened in the fourth quarter, airline people became strangely euphoric -- not because they like recessions, but because oil prices were dropping back into familiar territory. Given a choice between a recession and $140 oil, airlines will take the recession every time.
Obama Elected
The election was celebrated around the world as a sign that the unilateralism of the Bush Doctrine was giving way to a new era of international cooperation, not just on strategic and security matters but on a range of other issues, including the environment.
And to the extent that heightened U.S. security and border control practices had served as a deterrent to foreign visitors, travel people in the U.S. are now anticipating a more welcoming atmosphere that will be good for business.
A la Carte Air Travel
A la carte pricing has been around since airlines started charging for drinks and headsets back in the Stone Age. But in 2008, the practice of unbundling made so many inroads that there may be no roads out.
United, by some measures the most aggressive unbundler out there, began the year by implementing a $25 fee for a second checked bag. It ended the year by selling access to priority security lines for $25 and up.
In between, United and other carriers have set fees for snacks, meals, the first checked bag, the second checked bag, curbside check-in and preferred seating; several carriers also have raised fees for services such as carrying pets or transporting unaccompanied minors.
The flurry of activity gave rise to a hot debate about whether consumers prefer to pay only for the services they use or will balk at the nickel-and-dime approach.
But the real test is whether it works for the bottom line, and a growing number of analysts have said unbundling is, overall, a revenue enhancer, which probably means it's here to stay.
Airlines: The makeover continues
If the big airline story this year was the rise and fall of fuel prices, the runner-up has to be the beginning of structural change in transatlantic markets. The Open Skies agreement between the U.S. and the European Union opened London's Heathrow to all U.S. carriers and created opportunities for European airlines to serve the U.S. from any point in Europe rather than just from their homelands. The agreement also paved the way for European carriers to merge with each other without losing their U.S. landing rights.
Green Gains Momentum
Every business needs a cash strategy, a marketing strategy, a tax strategy, a what-to-do-in-a-flood strategy. Now each also needs a green strategy.
There remains considerable uncertainty about whether consumers are as green in their spending habits as they are in public opinion polls. And while many travel companies were getting on the bandwagon this year, it remains to be seen if the recession will knock them off. But the green movement is marching to a long-term drummer.
Edited from http://dcitravelupdate.blogspot.com/2008/12/travel-weekly-year-in-review.html
Top Travel Trends for 2009 from American Express
American Express Travel specialists revealed their top travel trends for 2009, including the continued growth of trends that have been building steadily over the past year. Though some emerge out of this year's economic downturn, others show travelers determined to create new and fulfilling travel experiences despite the economy.
"Second City Travel" - Visiting smaller, lesser-known cities within a destination can yield a more affordable, though equally enriching, vacation experience. For example, visiting Birmingham, England instead of London; or vacationing in Calgary, Canada instead of Toronto.
"Tried and True Travel" - Travelers are expected to return to destinations that they know and love in greater numbers. Not only is it a safe way to ensure an enjoyable vacation, it allows travelers to explore destinations more thoughtfully, while giving them a true sense of costs.
"Closer to Home" Travel - Expanding beyond this year's "staycation" trend, travelers are expected to seek "closer to home", affordable alternatives to overseas destinations. For example, visiting Montreal instead of Paris.
Vacation Home Rentals Support Multi-Generational Travel - Vacation home rentals and villas that offer multi-generational families a "home away from home" experience while on vacation, will continue to gain popularity.
Value Vacations Expected to Grow - Value oriented vacations, such as all-inclusive resorts and cruise lines that continue to expand their offerings will become more appealing to travelers that had not considered them in the past.
"Climate Sightseeing" - A growing number of travelers are moved to visit destinations threatened by climate change such as the Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Alaska and Canada's Churchill, an area whose polar bears are threatened by extinction.
"Authentic Travel" and "Niche Tours" - According to American Express travel agents, demand for vacations driven by special interests will continue to rise in 2009. Among these, agents named both "authentic travel" - experiencing a destination more intensely through longer stays and deep cultural immersion; and niche tours - where groups of people with like-minded interests travel together.
"Solo Travel" - Travel agents expect to see a rise in solo travel due to lifestyle factors, and the rising age of couples getting married.
From http://dcitravelupdate.blogspot.com/2008/12/authentic-travel-second-city-travel-and.html
VNSTA Gets on Board with Social Networking
Recently our web firm has been at work generating a higher online presence and profile for the North Shore via some of the most popular social networking websites. A North Shore FlickR page, North Shore YouTube page, new photos on Panoramio for Google earth and a Facebook page have now been created.
To ensure that these pages are kept fresh and relevant we ask that you upload your photos, videos, stories and comments on these sites.
Olympic Trivia
- The colours of the five Olympic rings signify the five parts of the world that participate in Olympic games.
- The International Paralympic logo represents the most common flag colours in the world.
- Ilanaaq is the official name of the 2010 Olympic Games emblem. It means "friend" in the Inuktitut language. The emblem is a stylized version of an inukshuk - the rock formation that resembles a person. These formations were traditionally used by the Inuit to provide directions across the vast north. Over time, the inukshuk came to mean hope, friendship, and welcome. Today they can be found not only in the north but in the southern areas of Canada to welcome people and guide them.
Mount Seymour Opens Earl Pletsch Meeting Room and Offers a Mongolian Yurt for Special Occassions
Located above the Alpine Activity Centre the new Earl Pletsch Meeting room is now available for meetings and events.
The room is named to honour the man who, from the late 1950's through to the early 1980's, ran Mt. Seymour Ski Area. He had a dedicated passion for skiing and a real desire to share the sport with everyone in the Lower Mainland. Earl oversaw all aspects of grooming, lifts, rentals and more.
Mr. Pletsch focussed his marketing efforts on school-aged children, their families and community centres. He maintained an affordable pricing strategy for his "working class" family ski area, which allowed large numbers of skiers to access and to be introduced to joys of the sport.
The Enquist Yurt
Located next to the Enquist TubePark, the Enquist Yurt is a modern-day Mongolian-style yurt, a perfect indoor venue to host casual events and functions. With seating of up to 50 people and access to a BBQ, the Yurt is perfect for social occasions.
View more information about Mount Seymour.
Tourism BC Statistics
- In the Vancouver Coast and Mountain region, the number of parties stopping in at Visitor Info Centres was down .8% YTD at the end of November.
- Air capacity in BC was up 2.9% overall at the end of September.
- Provincial room revenues were up 3.9% YTD at the end of October.
- BC Ferry traffic between Vancouver, Victoria and Nanaimo was down 3.3% YTD at the end of November.
- At the end of September US overnight traffic was down 9.6% from the same time in 2007.
- Food services and drinking places receipts were up 5.5% at the end of Sept. over the previous year.
- Traffic to the HelloBC.com website was down 10.6% YTD at the end of November.
- Phone calls to the 1-800 Hello BC call centre were down 41.5% YTD November 30th.
From TBC Tourism Indicators December 2008.
Upcoming Events in West and North Vancouver
Cypress Mountain
Feb. 12 - 15 LG FIS Snowboard World Cup
North Van Chamber
Wed. Feb. 25 - North Shore Business Tradeshow at Capilano Mall Noon to 6 PM
Call 604 987-4488 for info.
West Van Chamber
Jan. 28 - Breakfast with Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones
Feb. 11 Breakfast with
Olympic Athlete and RBC Royal Bank
Call 604 926-6614 for info.
Olympic Torch Relay to Travel Across North Shore in 2010
In November VANOC announced that the RBC/ Coca-Cola Olympic Torch Relay will travel 35,000 km. from Olympia, Greece, and be carried across every province and territory in Canada. It will travel from North Vancouver to West Vancovuer on February 10, 2010. Both the District of North Vancouver and the District of West Vancouver will be holding special celebrations relating to the arrival of the torch in their communities.
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