Reports

Number Of Tourists In Berlin Up, Overnight Stays Downs | tourism-review.com

The number of tourists visiting the German capital has increased by three percent in the first quarter of 2017. At the same time, the number of overnight stays has decreased. The neighbor city of Potsdam feels the positive impact of Berlin’s tourism boom.

In the first three months of 2017, Berlin accommodation providers reported more arriving guests than in the same period last year.

The Berlin-Brandenburg Statistical Office reported that the number of tourist arrivals rose by 3 percent to approximately 2.7 million. On the other hand, the number of overnight stays fell by 0.3 percent to 6.3 million. This includes 2.8 million overnight stays by foreign guests. The data represent an increase of 0.5 percent compared to the previous year. The average length of stays is 2.3 days.

tourism-review.com

Berlin, Germany

In Focus: Malaysia – A Rising Opportunity

Located in Southeast Asia, Malaysia comprises 13 states and three federal territories covering a total area of 329,847 square kilometres across Peninsula Malaysia and East Malaysia.Malaysia's population is approximately 31.7 million (2016 government estimate) with 60% being of Malay heritage. The country's diversity is reflected in the share of different ethnic groups, such as Chinese, Indians and Indigenous, in its total population.Kuala Lumpur, the administrative and commercial capital of Malaysia, is rapidly developing its service sector (banking and finance), IT and high-tech manufacturing industry to diversify from its historically strong oil and gas industry.With significant efforts made to attract multinational companies to Kuala Lumpur resulting in newly generated job opportunities, Greater Kuala Lumpur's (or Klang Valley's) population is expected to grow from 7.2 million in 2016 to 10 million in 2020.

By Stephanie Bernhard, Senior Associate at HVS Singapore, HVS

Malaysia

Soft Brands - Future Opportunities in the Canadian Market

Soft brands represent the movement of brand affiliations into the independent hotel market, bringing distinctive properties into an affiliation that expands the franchise company's audience while nurturing the creation of unique property-specific experiences for guests. By associating an independent property with a soft brand, the hotel is able to benefit from the expansive distribution channels and marketing reach associated with a brand. At the same time, the soft brand allows the hotel the freedom to define and shape the product offering. For the traditional hard-branded hotel, the core selling feature is the highly controlled, uniform guest experience across every hotel with the same name. In contrast, the soft brand allows the hotel to be special, characterized by the geography and culture of the region in which it is situated and the history of its own creation; only service standards and soft touches are maintained across all properties stamped with the same soft brand. In short, the soft brand creates a synergistic relationship between the service standards associated with a brand and the character of an independent hotel.

By Meagan Barley, Consulting and Valuation Associate at HVS Vancouver, HVS

Canada

Hotel Bulletin Q1 2017

AlixPartners, AM:PM and HVS have published the Q1 2017 Hotel Bulletin. The Hotel Bulletin analyses demand, supply pipeline and transactions in the hotel market in 12 cities across the UK. Includes a focus on branded hotel supply in the UK.

By Russell Kett, Chairman at HVS - London Office, HVS

Cuba’s New Luxury Hotels Look to Lure Waves of U.S. Tourists | nytimes.com

In Havana’s Parque Central, shady stone benches and graceful palm trees beckon to mojito-sipping tourists and locals gathering to shoot the breeze.

The gathering spot, in the center of town, is surrounded by horse-drawn carriages and long lines of colorful finned-and-chromed 1950s cars. But more utilitarian vehicles have recently begun circling the square: construction equipment transforming old buildings into luxury hotels.

As Cuba’s relationship with the United States grows warmer, real estate redevelopment is heating up, too.

nytimes.com

Cuba

2017 Middle East Hotel Survey – Chaos, Consolidation & Opportunity

The region continues to face distraught; dwindling economic conditions, changing demographics and source markets, and a saturation of luxury hotels pose an opportunity for developers to build mid-market.

By Aaron Laurie and Hala Choufany

Top 5 Least Competitive Tourism Markets In Europe | Tourism-review.com

For the past 11 years, The World Economic Forum has engaged leaders in the tourism industry to carry out in-depth analyses of the travel and tourism competitiveness of 136 economies across the world. Thus, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index was created. It is supposed to measure “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country”. This year’s index showed many surprises as well as expected things. Tourism-Review.com brings you the Top 5 Least Competitive Tourism Markets in Europe based on the Tourism Competitiveness Index. Somewhat unsurprisingly, almost all of these countries are located in the Balkans.

tourism-review.com

Antarctic Tourism Booming, Chinese Visitors Increasing | Tourism-review.com

The white continent, and more specifically its peninsula, welcomed 44 367 tourists during the winter of 2016/17, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). This represents a 15% increase compared to the previous Antarctic tourism season.

Further rise of 5% is anticipated for 2017/2018 – some 46 385 passengers – surpassing the historical record established during the winter of 2007/2008 (46 265 persons). Just for the record, after this season, visitation numbers dropped sharply after the enactment in 2010 of more stringent regulations for vessels wishing to navigate within this zone. Only 20 out of the 49 vessels which had been traveling to Antarctica were able to continue offering cruises in the region, which restricted Antarctica tourism to only 15 000 passengers.

tourism-review.com

Antarctica

Poland Increasingly Popular Despite Travel Safety Issues | tourism-review.com

Sea, mountains, cuisine, hospitality and security. Foreign tourists love Poland and throughout the last couple of years the destination has become even more popular. However, the travel safety has become troublesome recently.

In the latest report of the World Economic Forum, Poland was ranked 48th in terms of travel safety and security of a country. This is a fall by 13 positions compared to 2015. In assessments, the issues like crime rate and terrorist threat were taken in to account. In the same report Poland’s great attractions, well-maintained and quality hotel infrastructure were highlighted. Tourism in Poland seems not harmed much by the security troubles.

tourism-review.com

Poland

Health Tourism – Canada, UK, And Israel On The Top | tourism-review.com

Health tourism has established itself as a vital part of the industry. It is no surprise that the number of people travelling for treatment is constantly on the rise, as well as the revenues of the segment. The market of wellness and health tourism is experiencing constant growth. Both Western and Eastern Europe have registered market increases. In 2017, the Western European health and wellness market is expected to reach a figure of €146,407.5 million. The Eastern European market is expected to reach numbers of about €27,698.4 million.

tourism-review.com

Czech Hotels Set For Price Increases In The Coming Season | tourism-review.com

Czech hotels are receiving so many orders, that many of them have increased prices compared to last year. Price increases could reach up to 15%. A larger number of guests is expected both domestically, as well as from foreign countries. “This year there is higher demand, especially for the summer, and higher quality accommodation. Places that are regularly full are raising prices, because they can afford it. The increase of prices is up to 10%,” said Jan Papež, deputy chairman of the Association of Tourism Agencies in the Czech Republic.

tourism-review.com

Czech Republic

Cuban Tourism Heavily Relies On Canada And USA | tourism-review.com

Cuban tourism authorities announced record number of tourists for the last year. The country welcomed more than 4 million visitors most of them coming from the North America. Dalila Alba González, deputy director of marketing for the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur) reported that Cuban tourism ended the year of 2016 with more than four million visitors for the first time which means an increase of 13% compared to the previous year.

tourism-review.com

Cuba

Iceland Tourism Industry Expects Restrictions And Taxes | tourism-review.com

Iceland has been experiencing a historic tourist boom for 7 years. 20% more tourists are flooding its volcanic soil every year. The Icelandic government is now considering whether to impose taxes or restrictive measures to better regulate the inflow in the country because the growing amount of visitors is not only positive for Iceland tourism – it causes price explosions, saturation of accommodation, or even modification of the tourist structure. +264% in six years, 20 to 30% more tourists each year, 23% of the national GDP... The figures are impressive. In the space of seven short years, Iceland tourism has become the country’s first economic activity, ahead of traditional fishing and aluminum production.

tourism-review.com

Iceland

Trump’s travel ban is hitting luxury hotels the hardest | nypost.com

Travel to the US from the Middle East and North Africa has fallen 20 percent since President Trump signed his travel ban, a hotel chief executive said this week. The effect of the decline by travelers from these areas is outsized, as they spend much more relative to other hotel guests, sources said.

nypost.com

Tourism Competitiveness Index Shows Dynamic Changes | tourism-review.com

For the past 11 years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has been carrying out an in-depth analysis of travel and tourism competitiveness of 136 economies around the world. This year has been a turbulent year in tourism. The top countries in the ranking (Spain, France, Germany) retain stability. But many countries have gone through changes in various aspects.

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index measures “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country”.

tourism-review.com

Trends and Opportunities South America

It is our great pleasure to present the third edition of the Trends and Opportunities South America, an annual publication by HVS/Hotel Invest (in partnership with STR) that illustrates and analyzes the sector's performance in some of the major markets in the region.

By Cristiano Vasques, Managing Director, HVS

Chinese Tourism: Travel Technologies To Shape The Sector | tourism-review.com

The rapid development of modern technology introduces smartness and convenience to all aspects of our modern life and environment, including the efficient operations of private businesses, government/non- government organizations alike. With travel technologies being maximized and embedded in planned developmental goals of the Chinese government to grow and revolutionize Chinese tourism industry, the standard of living and quality of life and services is bound to improve. The total revenue of the travel and tourism industry in China is currently estimated to be valued at a whopping 3 trillion Yuan. As the sector continues to flourish the country is strategically positioned to become the world’s second largest tourism economy after the United States of America.

tourism-review.com

China

Mexican Tourism Industry Experiencing Its Best Performance Ever | tourism-review.com

Mexico has been able to latch onto the global tourism explosion, and just in time. In this period of great uncertainty, due to the potential impact of the Trump era, the Mexican tourism sector – which already represents 8.5% of the country's GDP – is going through the best period in its entire history, and has become – after the manufacturing sector and remittances – the principal driving force behind the economy. It is, however, starting to show signs of stagnation. The arrival rate of foreign visitors grew by 9% in 2016, reaching 35 million people. The increase in foreign currency entering the country was 10%; and the tourism industry's account balance (dollar inflow versus dollar outflow) improved by 22% thanks to the fact that there were more foreign visitors entering the country than Mexican citizens traveling abroad.

tourism-review.com

Mexico

Carnival Tourism Boosts Brazilian Businesses | tourism-review.com

The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism believes that the positive numbers of carnival tourism sector emphasize the importance of the holiday for the economy of all regions.

The Carnival revelry worked as a dynamo for the economy, generated jobs and attracted visitors in all regions of Brazil.

In Salvador, for instance, traditionally one of the key destinations for carnival tourism, the hotel occupancy rate reached 95% throughout the holiday season, hence generating 200 thousand temporary jobs. Bahia’s Secretariat of Tourism (Setur) estimates that 600 thousand tourists have visited the Bahian capital city, an increase of 9% in comparison with the previous year of 2016. Of these, 10% have come from abroad. 2 million visitors were registered throughout the state, a number responsible for pumping R$ 1,5 billion into the Bahian economy.

tourism-review.com

Brazil

Market Pulse: Singapore

The Republic of Singapore is a metropolitan city-state and island country in Southeast Asia with a total land area of 714.3 square kilometres. It is situated at the southern tip of the Malayan Peninsula, between Malaysia and Indonesia. With an economy supported by its growing population of around 5.8 million, Singapore rose as an Asian Tiger economy and today serves as a global commerce, finance and transportation hub.

By Ho Leng, Hok CHEE, and Victoria Chan

Singapore, Singapore