Since the pandemic took hold in March 2020, border closures and stay-at-home orders have brought economic disaster to much of the travel industry.
By this November, although some countries remained sealed to tourists – from Australia, Bhutan and China to Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and Vietnam – borders were reopening, testing requirements easing and an end to Covid restrictions seemed in sight. Then Omicron swept in. Overturning plans and creating havoc all over again, the ultra-infectious new strain of the coronavirus has brought yet another round of curfews, lockdowns and travel bans in its wake.
So what might 2022 hold for one of the world’s biggest industries? We’re all probably eager for a holiday, but the new year is not getting off to a promising start. Major airlines have had to ground fleets as they seek mergers, and even holiday giants such as Germany’s Tui have had to lay off staff as bookings have shrivelled.
Smaller operators continue to struggle
In the UK, bookings platform Hoo says not even the global boom in staycations has saved the hotel industry from a 73 per cent decrease in occupancy compared with 2019. And small holiday companies everywhere – the kind with owners who know all their employees and suppliers, from airport greeters to camel-ride guides – have had an especially bleak time.
“For the last 22 months, I, my wife, sister and all our employees have been desperately worried about our jobs, our livelihoods and our futures,” says the owner of a family business organising activity holidays in Scandinavia who has asked to remain anonymous. “Every single day, it has been like waking from a bad dream only to find ourselves in a nightmare.”
Some of the changes the travel industry has had to make, as staff shrink and costs have to be cut, were inevitable, he says. “The end of the era of ridiculous turn-down services, for example. I am more worried for the industry’s current collective mental health. I know good people who are broken, good people who have given up, and others who are slowly crumbling under the weight of it all. The pressure has been relentless.”
'Hope for the best but prepare for the worst'
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst has always been the travel industry’s unofficial motto. After all, these are the people who, at the best of times, routinely have to see, soothe and retain their guests through anything from cancelled flights and flooded rooms to crocodile attacks. Those companies that are surviving – just – have done so by nimbly adapting to what The Economist calls “our new era of predictable unpredictability”.
Navigating through so many changes, cancellations, refunds, postponements, 100 per cent flexibility had to become our new norm
Lisa Fitzell,
managing director, Elegant Resorts
“The way we operate changed completely when the pandemic hit in 2020,” says Lisa Fitzell, managing director of UK tour operator Elegant Resorts. “Navigating through so many changes, cancellations, refunds, postponements, 100 per cent flexibility had to become our new norm. We introduced low deposits, rightful refunds, delayed balance payments. How we operated internally changed, all to be able to pivot and adapt to the ever-changing new rules and trends.”
Book today, fly tomorrow
Notable among these new trends is a desire to travel at short notice, with “a book today, fly tomorrow” approach increasingly common when holidays are feasible; a desire for remote, peaceful destinations rather than anywhere with crowds; and for group bookings. “Whether extended families or a bunch of friends, we’ve seen a real uptick in reunions and groups of 14 or more,” says Oliver Bell of Oliver’s Travels in London.
At luxury travel operator Carrier, managing director Mark Duguid is finding that his wealthy clients are keen on bigger, better, longer holidays. “Demand for secluded accommodation in sensational landscapes far from city centres is greater than ever – wilderness lodges, remote chalets, luxury house-boats, boutique hotels that are off the beaten track,” he says.
Original Travel, another operator in the UK, has responded to a similar desire among its clients to end “throwaway trips” with a Travel Less, Travel Better collection of philanthropically oriented “slow travel” holidays.
The rise of 'slow travel'
Jonny Bealby, founder of Wild Frontiers in the UK, says the main change he’s seen is around ethical and sustainable tourism. “Clients now are looking to get the maximum holiday out of the minimum air travel. They’re asking for trips such as our walking with bears tour in Slovakia that give back to local communities through homestays, local drivers and local guides.”
And if people do commit to a long-haul flight, they want to make the most of it, says Jeremy Clubb of South American specialist Rainforest Cruises. “We’ve witnessed a huge increase in the average price spend on experiences – 180 per cent, in fact. Is that due to people having more disposable income from not going on vacation for the last 22 months? Or are they splashing out because they feel they deserve it after a challenging period? Who can say? But people are certainly embracing bucket lists.”
Even the best-planned trip can go horribly awry, of course, and travellers are becoming more risk-averse. “We’re meeting many new clients who’ve never used a tour operator before and who have realised the benefits of an experienced navigator,” says Tom Marchant of luxury travel company Black Tomato.
True Traveller’s Covid-friendly insurance has also benefitted from this shift, says managing director Tim Riley. “People are really taking the time to read their policies now.”
In search of wellness
Unsurprisingly, wellness holidays have enjoyed robust bookings. Spa resorts in the Maldives, such as the Joali and the two Four Seasons properties, have remained open for much of the pandemic. And from The Queen of Retreats’ hideaways to mainland Greece’s Euphoria Retreat, which launched its Feel Alive Again programme to help guests “negotiate the post pandemic world with fresh energy and vigour”, small, tranquil spas have survived by providing a true refuge for those desperate to escape the stresses of lockdown.
Yacht charter companies have proven to be the pandemic’s great survivors, however. "Demand has increased dramatically,“ says Nicholas Dean of charter and management company Ocean Independence. “It’s the wholly exclusive element – the ultimate bubble. Clients have their own crew, their own chef and no need to go ashore. Nothing else is even remotely similar for those wanting to travel in safety.”
“We’ve seen a much bigger demand for superyachts, especially for multigenerational family groups,” agrees Dora Vulic of Sail Dalmatia. “There’s also more awareness around environmental initiatives and our newest fleet reflects that. Solar panels, water purifiers, hybrid-electric engines and much less plastic on board are now commonplace.”
The pandemic has been a major catalyst in the digitisation of travel services, with documentation, room access and proof of vaccine status all moving to our phones. Lynn Hood, chief operating officer of Focus Hotels, points to an increase in simplification, especially with hotels’ food and beverage offerings, and a move away from cash payments.
Yet it’s changing attitudes that may prove the most directional in 2022.
The small things in life
“I think people are more considerate than before the pandemic,” says Sean Moriarty, general manager of Hotel Quinta do Lago in the Algarve. “It’s made everyone appreciate the small things in life. People care more about the planet.”
A philosophical Ted Wake of Kirker Holidays elaborates: “We have all become much more aware of what an extraordinary privilege it is to be able to glide effortlessly from A to B. And in the future, we will perhaps elect to ration ourselves, treat ourselves to more authentic experiences, take slow travel seriously. Frivolous indulgence belongs to another era.”
Perhaps the last word, however, deserves to go to Raki Phillips, chief executive of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development: “Even before the pandemic there was an epochal shift in tourist aspirations, a growing ennui with the homogenisation of travel, the creeping sameness of every destination – and a desire to escape the resort mindset.
“Covid only accelerated that change. I think it’s important for destinations now to really embrace the qualities that define them. That’s the key to sustainable, transformational travel.”
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 55')
Man of the Match Allan (Everton)
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Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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NBA Finals results
Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103
Game 3: Cavaliers 102, Warriors 110
Game 4: In Cleveland, Sunday (Monday morning UAE)
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
The years Ramadan fell in May
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
