Business travel

The hotel industry is doing rather well in Asia, and the ASEAN community is no exception. Thailand and Vietnam in particular are experiencing a boom in tourist arrivals.

A one-year experiment that ended in failure: the Dutch management of the low-cost Transavia - a subsidiary of Air France-KLM - threw in the towel on its Munich base to concentrate the airline's development on France and the Netherlands.

In Germany, air transport grew by 3.4% in 2016 across all airports, representing 223.2 million passengers. This is certainly a positive result, but it is qualified by the ADV, the German airports association. According to the ADV, Germany's airports are losing ground in the face of European competition...

Ryanair has become Europe's biggest airline in terms of passenger numbers, while the top 15 European carriers already include six low-cost airlines.

While the Warwick Group has just acquired The Capital hotel in Knightsbridge, Yotel has announced its arrival in central London in 2018.

EasyJet is expanding its French catalogue by adding five new routes in France, and will be making its debut at Calvi airport.

Worldhotels has just been acquired by the American voluntary chain Associated Luxury Hotels, expanding the global footprint of these two brands, which distribute over 600 establishments and almost 200,000 rooms worldwide.

Eurostar is opening a lounge in Paris, on the second floor of the Gare du Nord. This new meeting place for business travellers offers a cosy setting reminiscent of a Haussmann-style flat.

The German design chain 25Hours is to take over the former Mercure Paris Gare du Nord. From now until 2019, the hotel will undergo a highly contemporary metamorphosis, all without closing.

The Hilton Group is upgrading its loyalty programme. No longer called Hilton HHonors, but Hilton Honors, it can now be used to combine points and euros to book a room, as well as to shop on Amazon.com.

Brussels Airlines is launching its mobile application as a prelude to a year of digital innovation in 2017. Massive investments are promised for the coming months.

A study published by the Movinga removals platform may well put French business travellers into perspective. The cost of public transport in Paris is much lower than in other top business destinations, including in Europe. The same applies to communications and food.

Icelandair organised its annual Mid-Atlantic event from 26 to 29 January. This 25th edition, organised in Reykjavik, brought together some 800 participants, invited to celebrate the company's 80th anniversary at the same time. Birkir Hólm Guðnasson, CEO of the Icelandic airline, and Senior Vice President Helgi Mar Björgvinsson, explain the positioning of the carrier specialising in transatlantic routes. Interviewed in Reykjavik by Florian Guillemin.

Cathay Pacific is being forced to re-evaluate its strategy, as it is set to announce a probable loss for its last financial year. This will be only the third time in the company's history.

The announced departure of Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan, after a decade at the helm of the company, should mark a major change in the company's strategy. Etihad could separate itself from some of the European carriers in which it has invested.

Air France-KLM and China Eastern Airlines are offering companies joint contracts on routes between France and Shanghai. At the same time, China Eastern Airlines is joining Air France-KLM's free frequent flyer programme, BlueBiz.

Four Seasons, the Canadian luxury group, has just opened a new hotel in London's business district. This follows the inauguration of a hotel in Tianjin, China, and there are more to come.

Hilton Worldwide is continuing to expand by adding a new 'light' brand, Tapestry, designed to welcome independent upmarket hotels into its fold.

In March, Melia Hotels International will open the Gran Melia Nacional in Rio, the result of the renovation of a legendary hotel designed by Niemeyer. The Spanish group is also expecting a number of openings for its trendy ME brand and its Innside business brand.

Qwidam is taking on the business travel market. The social network for emergency situations is now available in a corporate version, QPro, which offers a collaborative response to the duty of care issue.