‘Ski resorts were Covid-19 breeding ground in Europe’

Industry News: 23rd May 2020

Dr Andrea Ammon blames the return of skiers and snowboarders from Alpine skiing breaks in the first week of March was a pivotal moment in the spread of Covid-19 into Europe.

And in her interview with The Guardian newspaper in the UK last week she warned that Europe should brace for a serious second wave.

“The question is when and how big, that is the question in my view,” said Dr Ammon (pictured above), director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), a former advisor to the German government..

In her Guardian interview she said: “Looking at the characteristics of the virus, looking at what now emerges from the different countries in terms of population immunity – which isn’t all that exciting, between 2 per cent and 14 per cent, that leaves still 85 per cent to 90 per cent of the population susceptible – the virus is around us, circulating much more than January and February.

“I don’t want to draw a doomsday picture but I think we have to be realistic. That it’s not the time now to completely relax.”

And she was believes that Alpine resorts were the breeding ground and first point of arrival for much of the pandemic in Europe in Janury.

“Because at that time we saw new cases all over Europe and actually they had been in the skiing places in the Alps, in Italy, Austria,” she said.

“I mean this is a crowded place, the ski resorts, and then you have these cabins that you go up the mountain and these are really crammed.

“Yeah, it’s just perfect for such a virus. I mean I am pretty sure that this contributed to the wide spread in Europe.”

The case of the ski resort of Ischgl in Austria has a reputation as a virus-spreader. The village had the highest concentrations of covid-19 in the whole of Austria.

It remained in full lockdown and along with the other Austrian resorts of St Anton and Soelden long after other areas saw their restrictions lifted.

It is interesting to see this has now been confirmed by the medical experts, but it was obvious for anyone to see with a modicum of knowledge and common sense.

Perhaps the more worrying aspect at this moment in time is that Andrea Ammon believes a second wave is coming.

She advises that the prospect of a second wave of coronavirus infection across Europe is no longer a distant theory.

“The question is when and how big, that is the question in my view,” said Dr Andrea Ammon.

READ FULL GUARDIAN INTERVIEW HERE

***

...

***

Turkish Airlines further extends flight suspensions until June

Industry News: 23rd May 2020 Turkish Airlines has extended the suspension of its domestic flights until June 4 due to coronavirus (Covid-19) with international flights scheduled to resume on June 10. According to a statement issued by the company, the suspension of domestic and international flights will be extended due to the pandemic. It had previously given a deadline of May 28, 2020. The airline has a fleet of 350 aircraft serving 300 international destinations. Currently, the Republic of Turkey’s Prime Ministry Privatization Administration owns a 49.12 per cent interest in THY, while 50.88 per cent of shares are publicly traded. Turkish Airlines claims to have one of the best Business Class products in the world, , flies just about everywhere, offers several unique amenities, and promises bargain prices. It is part of the Star Alliance is the world’s largest airline community, consisting of 26 members from leading companies in the global aviation sector.  It has said that in response to the pandemic, cabin baggage will now be placed in the hold, with luggage allowances increased by 8kg.
 

***

...

***

Dubai Expo 2020 delayed for 12 months amid cronavirus fears

Dubai Expo 2020 becomes Expo 2021 today after it was officially postponed for a year

World Expo 2020 in Dubai will be delayed by a year it was confirmed today (May 4), after weeks of speculation.The United Arab Emirates’ city has invested millions of dollars preparing for Expo 2020 with more than 100 hotels under construction.

Dubai was forecasting 25 million visits over the six months – 145,000 visits for every one of the 173 days the site is open. They expected 11 million visits by people living in the UAE and 14 million from overseas visitors.

...

The delay confirmation came today after a two-thirds majority of Bureau International des Expositions, BIE, Member States has already voted in favour of postponing until 2021.

The event will now run from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, a delay that “allows all participants to safely navigate the impact of COVID-19”. It also allows the World Expo to focus on a collective desire for new thinking to identify solutions to some of the greatest challenges of our time, said a report from the UAE state news agency WAM this morning.

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group, and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said: “We welcome the decision of BIE Member States to support the delay of Expo 2020 Dubai by one year. We are thankful to Member States for their continued commitment to contributing to a World Expo in Dubai that will play a pivotal role in shaping our post-pandemic world at a time when it will be most needed.

“We have sought to build over the last 50 years bridges, connections, and partnerships around the world because we believe in genuine collaboration to safeguard the future of all. This swift and overwhelming vote reflects the strength of our international partnerships and truly reflects the positive role the UAE and Dubai play with all countries around the world.

“This affirmation by the international community of Dubai’s offering and its ability to deliver, further strengthens our commitment to matching ambition with achievement to hosting an event that will capture the world’s imagination, when the time is right.”

With a BIE General Assembly impossible to stage due to COVID-19 restrictions, Member States voted remotely on the BIE Executive Committee’s recommendation for a delay as proposed by the UAE Government at the beginning of April and recommended by the BIE Executive Committee on 21 April. While the vote remains open until 29 May, the two-thirds threshold was surpassed within a week of voting opening on 24 April.

Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary General of the BIE, said: “I applaud the swift response by BIE Member States. Their support for the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – which will be formally approved on 29 May – is a renewed sign of solidarity and demonstrates the shared will to work together in ‘creating the future’.”

“In their support for the one-year postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai, Member States of the BIE are giving the world the opportunity to reconvene in 2021, when together, we can address the challenges facing humanity and celebrate the unity and solidarity that strengthen us. With its theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, Expo 2020 Dubai will offer the world a unique platform to share the lessons, solutions and ideas for a better tomorrow.”

Expo 2020 Dubai retains its name and remains committed to hosting an exceptional event that will celebrate humanity’s resilience, creativity, culture and innovation – including major technological advances in the fields of medicine and science.

The first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, and largest ever event to take place in the Arab world, Expo 2020 will welcome 192 countries, plus businesses, multilateral organisations and educational establishments.

MORE NEWS HERE

THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM VIRTUAL CONFERENCE June 10, 2020 DETAILS & REGISTRATION

BA reveals plan to cut 12,000 jobs

One of the world’s biggest airlines BA revealed plans to axe up to 12,000 of its staff because of the global collapse in air travel in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

The privately owned UK operator’s plan is understood to include a quarter of its pilots as the company reacts to the severe downturn in flights.

The airline’s chief executive, Alex Cruz, told BA’s 42,000 staff on Tuesday night that the company “must act decisively now to ensure that British Airways has a strong future” and that means more than one in four jobs must be cut.

Cruz said the UK’s flag carrier airline, which has placed 22,600 people on the government’s furlough scheme, “cannot expect the taxpayer to offset salaries indefinitely”.

“Yesterday, British Airways flew just a handful of aircraft out of Heathrow. On a normal day we would fly more than 300. What we are facing as an airline, like so many other businesses up and down the country, is that there is no ‘normal’ any longer,” Cruz told staff in a letter

“We are a strong, well-managed business that has faced into, and overcome, many crises in our hundred-year history. We must overcome this crisis ourselves, too.”

MORE NEWS HERE

THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM VIRTUAL CONFERENCE June 10, 2020 DETAILS & REGISTRATION