Covid-19

Given the diversity of protocols put in place by hoteliers to limit the effects of the pandemic, CDS Groupe intends to sort the wheat from the chaff by introducing a "Covid-19 index" within its booking tool. This initiative has a number of aims: to inform travellers, reassure them that they are respecting...

Reassuring business travellers: this is the challenge that all those involved in business travel have set themselves in order to revive a business that has been at a standstill for many weeks. Following in the footsteps of the big names in the hotel and events sectors, Europcar has now turned to Bureau Veritas to help it implement a...

It's a welcome update at a time when, with Covid-19, the customer experience is becoming increasingly contactless. The Barrière group has just given its five-year-old application a facelift. The new version of the Barrière App, developed during the period of confinement,...

On 17 March this year, the introduction of confinement gave the impression that France had come to a standstill. Yet the need for mobility has not disappeared for a number of key sectors. "At the height of the crisis, we supported industries that were still operating, with many e-commerce companies asking us to supply their centres...

An attractive alternative over distances previously considered unattractive by travellers, particularly business travellers. This is the commitment signed on 3 June by 25 countries of the European Union - as well as Norway and Switzerland - to encourage the development of fast or high-speed international lines on the continent, and to...

They are absolutely furious and ready to take the government to court. In a recent opinion piece, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair, the three biggest players in British air transport, expressed their anger at the measure taken by Boris Johnson's government to introduce compulsory quarantine...

Three weeks after decontamination, do you already feel that business is picking up? Olivier Cohn - It's still rather tentative, but a momentum is building. The recovery is gathering pace week by week. Admittedly, we are still a long way from the booking levels recorded in 2019, since we are only 45% away from what we were doing last year...

The upturn in business travel is becoming clearer, according to a study published on 4 June by International SOS. The travel security specialist estimates that nearly eight out of ten French companies (77%) are planning a business trip to Europe in the next three months. French business travellers are even looking ahead to...

With the gradual deconfliction of borders across Europe, the rise of air and rail travel, and the reopening of borders within the Schengen area, the hotel industry is seeing the prospect of a return in business and leisure travel, albeit a slow but expected recovery. And while not all hotels have closed their doors...

Stay at home... but with us. In the current context, with their intermediate offer between traditional hotels and flat rental, hotel residences could undoubtedly reappropriate the flagship slogan of confinement. "We are convinced that the hotel apartment concept can reassure hesitant or cautious travellers, giving them greater independence and a sense of security.

According to the consulting firm OAG, which analyses and publishes the schedules of all the world's airlines, the beginning of June saw a genuine increase in capacity for the first time in three months. This trend confirms the predictions of aviation experts, who were forecasting the start of growth at this time of year....

Enabling air transport to take off again on the basis of globally harmonised rules. This is the objective of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which has just unveiled its recommendations in the "Takeoff" report, produced after consultation with numerous stakeholders including the WHO, Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). So...

In these particularly difficult times for the tourism and events sectors, let's start with some good news. Paris has retained its top spot in the ICCA rankings, with 237 revolving congresses hosted in 2019. Pablo Nakhle Cerruti - We're obviously very pleased that Paris is at the top of this ranking. It's worth noting...

The speech by Edouard Philippe and his ministers was eagerly awaited. At around 5pm on 28 May, the Prime Minister outlined the second phase of the decontamination plan, which comes into force on 2 June. This new stage marks the abolition of the 100 km limit imposed until now...

While the government has just unveiled the details of the second phase of deconfinement - and the return to mobility in France and then Europe - Nice airport is doing the sums. And at a time when many players in the travel industry are counting their losses and waves of redundancies, this is yet another...

When can business travel resume, and under what conditions? This is the question that has been on the minds of everyone involved in the market since the outbreak of the health crisis. The GBTA (Global Business Travel Association) has therefore surveyed the main stakeholders - suppliers, business travel agencies, and above all travel managers and buyers (43% on the panel) -...

The process of decontamination is gathering pace in Europe, with many EU countries announcing the gradual lifting of the restrictions that had brought travel to a complete standstill for more than two months. Italy announced the return of travellers on 3 June, the first country not to ask for certificates of non-contamination, contenting itself with a declaration...

Accor has entered into a partnership with the insurer AXA to offer medical assistance in its 5,000 hotels worldwide. From next July, the hotel group's customers will be able to access the medical services offered by AXA Partners, AXA's international entity specialising in assistance services, travel insurance and credit insurance. Travellers will benefit from AXA's innovative...

More and more health measures are being taken in the airline industry, both to curb the Covid-19 pandemic and to reassure travellers. A few days ago, Air France launched systematic screening of passengers before boarding, using infrared thermometers. And back in April, Etihad Airways announced that it was testing a new technology...

How did the Wojo sites cope with this period of confinement? Stéphane Bensimon - Our sites remained accessible during the lockdown, but without reception or catering services. However, very few people visited our sites, or just popped in to collect their things. That's all in the past...