Germany to decide if ITB Berlin will take place
>> The crisis committee of the German Government is meeting to discuss the coronavirus threat in Germany and a way forward. One part of their decisionmaking is to determine if ITB should be taking place as scheduled March 4-8 next week in Berlin.
That risk at such a large tourism fair with representatives from those affected regions and with an expected 150,000 visitors is not calculable.
Tokyo Disneyland to close through mid-March
>> Tokyo Disneyland will be closed starting from Saturday through to March 15 due to concerns about coronavirus infections spreading in Japan, its operator said on Friday, leaving all of Walt Disney’s theme parks in Asia temporarily shut. Earlier this month, the outbreak forced the temporary closure of Disney's Shanghai and Hong Kong parks.
Alaska Tourism Officials see an opportunity
>> As coronavirus cases continue to multiply in China, and concerns about the disease have led travelers to cancel upcoming trips to other Asian countries, tourism officials in Alaska see an opportunity.
Officials with local airport and Visit Anchorage, the tourism marketing organization for Alaska’s largest city, have begun lobbying airlines, travel agents and tour operators to increase airline service, reroute cruises and generally get the word out about the sights and attractions of the northernmost state.
Transport tickets sales start to rebound in China
>> With the resumption of work in many cities in China, domestic air tickets and train tickets bookings are now starting to rebound. According to statistics from Alibaba's online travel platform Fliggy, the booking data of flight tickets, trains and other travel products gradually raised from last week after hitting bottom in mid-February, with a weekly booking increase of 70%.
At the same time, affected by the epidemic, the price of air tickets in this year's return period is generally lower, and the average price in some cities has dropped by 50% year-on-year.
Some Chinese airlines drop airfares to USD 4
>> Chinese airlines are offering basement-bargain flights for as cheap as a cup of coffee, as millions of people face travel restrictions due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Spring Airlines, a low-cost carrier, has advertised a one-way flight from Shanghai to Chongqing for just RMB 29, or USD 4.10, the South China Morning Post reported.
Coronavirus could end global air travel boom
>> Airlines have cut hundreds of thousands of flights because of coronavirus outbreak and related travel restrictions. The NYSE Arca Airline Index, which tracks 16 carriers in North America and Latin America as well as European budget carrier Ryanair, is down 20% this week, putting it on pace for its biggest weekly percentage since October 2008 — during the last recession.
Airlines IAG, easyJet warn on coronavirus
>> The company warnings about coronavirus continued to pile up on Friday, as blue-chip airlines IAG and easyJet warned on softening demand due to the spread of the virus in Europe.
British Airways parent IAG warned that it is currently experiencing demand weakness on Asian and European routes. Budget carrier easyJet also warned on coronavirus, saying that it has seen "significant" softening of demand and load factors into and out of its northern Italian bases.
Amadeus' daily boarded passengers drop 7%-10%
>> Amadeus IT Group recorded double-digit growth both in revenue and EBITDA in 2019, and adjusted profit climbed 13.4% to EUR 1,270.2 million. The company said the coronavirus outbreak will impact the industry and Amadeus' business in 2020, with "a sequential rebound, if it replicates past episodes".
Factoring out China, airlines may end 2020 with 1 percent year-over-year growth in traffic volumes, Amadeus estimated.
Flight Centre expects a decline in annual profits
>> Flight Centre Travel Group anticipates a decline in its full-year profits before tax projection due to coronavirus. The company is projecting a range between $240 million to $340 million instead of its previous target of $310 to $350 million.
In its earnings report for the first half of fiscal year 2020, Flight Centre says it is “currently expecting significant second half earnings impact.”
