p10 wtm nov14 12/11/08 20:18 Page 10
news wtm 2008 hotels
ttglive.com
World Travel Market 2008
10-13 November ■ ExCeL ■ London
ENVIRONMENT.
AYE AYE CAPTAINS:
‘Charge hotels
Thomas Cook group
chief executive Manny
Fontenla-Novoa was the
more for water’
guest speaker at WTM’s
Captains of Industry
lunch, where guests
HOTELS should be forced to pay more for
also included Thomson
electricity and water than the local people in the
Airways managing
countries in which they operate, according to a
director Chris Browne
leading tourism academic.
and Travelzest chief
Professor Harold Goodwin called on local executive Chris
governments in countries such as South Africa to Mottershead (right).
levy higher charges on hotels to prompt them to
reduce their consumption.
Speaking at a WTM seminar on corporate
social responsibility, Goodwin said hotels that
were not yet taking action to reduce their envi-
Cook boss calls on
ronmental impact needed to be forced to do so.
“I suspect that most of the businesses which
are going to do it because they believe in it are
already doing it – we need to move beyond that,”
hotels to cut rates
he said.
“We want local government to look at what
Lucy Huxley.
over the next three to four years from the
they can do to regulate the use of resources.” THOMAS Cook group chief executive Manny current 817 shops to around 70.
Goodwin said one way of progressing was to Fontenla-Novoa has called on hoteliers at WTM “There may be a bit of shrinking, but not
incentivise general managers by making their to lower rates now, claiming it will be too late much at all,” he added.
career prospects dependent on the attainment after the peaks. Fontenla-Novoa predicted capacity cuts would
of certain environmental goals. He said hoteliers usually waited until March to ensure prices would be about 6% higher next
see how well stock had sold in January and Feb- year, leading to better margins in 2009.
ruary before deciding whether to reduce rates. He said there had been a 20% reduction in
HOTEL RATES.
Forecasting a 12% reduction in overall capacity in the overall market over two years,
India prices ‘soar’
capacity next year, Fontenla-Novoa said it was due to cut-backs by Thomas Cook and Tui and the
imperative operators had the best prices now to collapse of XL.
ensure healthy early bookings. Although the pain suffered by XL staff and
BOOKINGS to India have been hit by a big rise in The Cook boss said he was still steadfastly customers was regrettable, the reduction in
hotel rates, just as consumers have less money to committed to high street distribution, revealing availability would ensure the continuing health
spend, Somak chief executive Ash Sofat claimed. that between 70% and 75% of early bookings of the UK’s two travel giants and the industry as
Somak’s bookings to India are down 16% year- still came from shops. a whole, Fontenla-Novoa said.
on-year overall and those to Goa have dropped Fontenla-Novoa said the Thomas Cook shop He added Cook’s focus was firmly on mid-haul
30% as a result of price increases introduced network could be trimmed by 60 or so outlets destinations such as Egypt, Turkey and Greece.
when hoteliers started calculating prices in
rupees rather than pounds.
Sofat said the price of some two-week
SRI LANKA.
He said increasing numbers of UK customers
packages had increased by 81% from £1,600 to SRI LANKA is committed to becoming completely were more conscious of environmental issues
£2,900 between 2001 and 2008, and much of the carbon neutral by 2018 and has made turning its than people from other countries.
increase was down to rises in hotel rates. tourism industry green a priority. The UK is Sri Lanka’s second-biggest market
Sofat said Africa, which accounts for about Renton de Alwis, chairman of Sri Lanka but De Alwis said carbon-neutral initiatives could
two-thirds of Somak’s business, was set to fare Tourism, said the country’s commitment to going draw enough attention from UK tourists to make
better through 2009 because it was better value. green will raise its profile and attract UK tourists. the UK the country’s biggest market.
10 14.11.2008
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