Steigenberger creating Porsche brand: Steigenberger Hotels AG/Deutsche Hospitality has signed a deal with Porsche Design Group to create Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels, a luxury lifestyle brand to be launched in select international markets. Steigenberger, with 160 hotels today under six brands, is a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s Huazhu Group Ltd.
Britain eases quarantine rules: In a boon to hospitality, fully-vaccinated Britons returning from medium-risk amber list countries will no longer have to quarantine after they arrive home from July 19. These Britons, however, will still have to take a COVID-19 test before they arrive home and another test on or before Day 2. Fully vaccinated Britons returning from the U.K.’s high-risk red list will be required to self-isolate in a hotel. The change in norm comes as a relief to airlines and the travel industry, which had been counting losses since 15 months of restrictions. The need to quarantine on return had prevented a travel recovery. The previous rules mandated those returning to Britain from Spain, France, the U.S. and Italy to self-isolate for up to 10 days.
European recovery: European travel will pick up in the peak summer months thanks to the gradual easing of restrictions, ramping-up of vaccinations and the EU’s recent opening to more than a third of countries and fully vaccinated travelers from abroad. This is according to the latest quarterly European Tourism Trends & Prospects report published by the European Travel Commission. Although international arrivals will remain 49% below the pre-pandemic levels in 2021, travel demand is expected to pick up in the second half of the year. Intra-European trips are expected to account for over 80% of Europe’s travel, with the report revealing that 54% of the European respondents intend to book a trip once they are vaccinated against COVID-19. While domestic and intra-European travel might return to 2019 volumes by 2022 and 2023 respectively, travel from long-haul source markets is not likely to recover until 2025.
Fear of cancellations in Spain: Spain’s tourism sector is anticipating mass summer cancellations among summer visitors as COVID-19 cases spike among the younger, unvaccinated population across the country. France has already recommended against travel to Spain. The Spanish government is expecting around 17 million international arrivals this summer – just 45% of the statistic in the summer of 2019, but three times more than in the summer of 2020. A record 83.5 million tourists visited Spain in 2019. There were 3.2 million between January and May 2021, a drop of 26 million from the same period in 2019. Vacation bookings began to surge since Spain eased restrictions in May, with bookings equalling pre-pandemic levels on June 26. While there have been no significant cancellations as yet, bookings have dried up.
Portugal imposes strict norms: Portugal imposed stricter rules on travelers, requiring them to show a negative COVID-19 test, a vaccination certificate or proof of recovery to stay in hotels and other holiday accommodation like Airbnb, and to eat indoors at restaurants in 60 high-risk municipalities, including Lisbon and Porto. Travelers and restaurant owners must use the EU digital COVID-19 certificate. Rapid antigen and PCR tests will also be valid. Hotels can provide fast tests at check-in. The rules come amid increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the country, with cases rising to levels last seen in February.
Ronaldo hotel coming to New York: Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be launching Pestana CR7 Hotel, his hotel company, in Midtown Manhattan. After opening hotels in Lisbon, the capital of Ronaldo’s home country Portugal; Madeira, where he lives; and Madrid; this will be the company’s first property outside Europe. The New York property, which will be influenced by the colors and art of Portugal, will cater to sports fans with a fitness center, a schedule of live sports, healthy meals on-site and more. Rates will start at US$91, depending on the dates of stay. The next Ronaldo-branded hotel is expected to open in 2023 in Manchester, England, where he spent much of his career. Pestana, the Portuguese tourism and leisure group, has 91 hotels and 12,000 rooms globally.