News & Stories

Zurich. It's the end of November, the skies are grey and it's raining. A perfect time for wellness. On the Zurich hotel façade, the two words "The Resort" are illuminated after the hotel name. "a-ja. The Resort." That's a statement. Inside, a very friendly member of staff greets the arriving guest. The rest is a matter of taste. The German hotel group a-ja Resorts currently operates four resorts on the Baltic coast, all under the motto "Holiday... without the superfluous extras". The fifth a-ja is the first city resort – a budget wellness hotel in the very centre of expensive Switzerland, and at the heart of expensive Zurich. What's the concept, where is the experience? We go in search of answers on the ground.

London. With just 70 days until Britain leaves the EU, Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan has been rejected by a massive 230 votes in the House of Commons. The defeat is the largest for a government in modern history, but the Prime Minister is not ready to quit. May will submit a new plan on Monday, but the outcome of a no-deal Brexit is pending. Uncertainty has created huge frustrations among business leaders who are asking for time to get prepared. The hotel association UKHospitality is calling for clarity and warns that a bad deal will seriously harm the sector. Numbers are already down.

Villach. The Austrians reject mass tourism and instead clearly throw their weight behind quality tourism. They know the value of the tourism industry for their country. At its annual congress in Villach this week, the Austrian Hoteliers' Association sees itself on track for success. At the same time, various hoteliers view the announced change in ownership structure of the Austrian Hotel and Tourism Bank, one of their most important sources of finance, with scepticism. Speaking on the fringes of the event in Villach, former ÖHV President, Sepp Schellhorn, today Member of Austria's National Council with the NEOS Party, was critical of the association: It should be more vocal in setting the agenda.

Vienna. Austria's tourism businesses are much happier today than ten years ago, according to a recent study. And that is true for both summer and winter. The current heavy snowfall also comes with advantages in the medium term: it will last until Easter. On the other hand, labour costs have become an increasing burden for hotels. In addition, EU bureaucracy is hampering recruitment of cooks from third countries.

London/Hanover. TUI again delivered double-digit earnings growth in financial year 2018 – for the fourth consecutive year. Important pillars are the hotel and cruise industry as well as the sale of experiences, but for the future there is also focus on permanent advances in technology, digitization and AI.

Vienna. City breaks are leading to overtourism: Over the past ten years, the number of overnight stays made in city destinations has risen twice as fast as in the countries surveyed. This was a finding of the first Europe-wide study by Roland Berger and the Austrian Hoteliers Association.

Paris. After four weekends of violent demonstrations against living costs and fuel tax rises, French protesters, dubbed the "Yellow Vests", have been heard. Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced improvements to appease the people's situation. But the damage is serious, also in tourism: 35,000 overnight stays were cancelled within one week. All segments, hotel types and categories of the hotel industry are suffering. Since the terrorist attacks, "it has taken us 3 years to get back on the map, and now we have to do it all over again," is one of many bitter comments on the current situation in Paris.

London/Bethesda. Concerning its brand Tribute Portfolio Homes, Marriott International did not announce a mega rollout, just the contrary: The newest baby, which provides home rental, is allowed to grow slowly. The bed giant is moving in unknown waters, following the slogan "learning by doing", and its partner is the British start-up Hostmaker. The six-month trial period with this partner has been extended and they have just taken on new homes in Paris, London and Lisbon together. Belinda Pote, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Europe at Marriott, explained the first steps and experiences to Maria Puetz-Willems in London.

Linz. Inspired by its role as "European Culture Capital 2009", the City of Linz in Upper Austria has now organised the first TravelCulture congress. The biggest mistake, Prof Harald Pechlaner said at the beginning of the congress, was to leave tourism developments up to tourism companies. Cities like Linz are to make it on to the map as a location identified with a new kind of travel. Congress participants were invited under the new concept of the "Blue Meeting" not into the congress hall, but rather into the city and into its culture. A new approach for destinations that want to get close to their short-stay travellers.

Berlin. Of all, the "Instagram" generation is driving the phenomenon of overtourism. It's exactly this species of traveller who seeks out the world's most remote and beautiful spots and shares the photos on social media. After that, the hunt for the destination begins... The perversion of the desire to travel. "Expectations and reality are no longer aligned," Prof Harald Zeiss says from the Institute for Sustainable Tourism at Harz University in Wernigerode. The academic as well as a politician and city representatives expressed their concerns for overtourism – even in Germany – in Berlin. They call for more critical voices and control measures.