Friday 13 January 2012

Like the curates egg, the news is good in parts



Let’s taste the medicine first. Air X Asia has announced that it is pulling out of Europe at the end of March. They blame the torpid European economy, high oil prices, the European carbon-trading scheme and Britain’s airline passenger duty. All these factors may help justify their withdrawal but some aviation experts expressed doubts about the business viability of the low cost, long haul concept.

The latest Overseas Travel and Tourism report for Quarter 3, 2011 suggests that the travel numbers whilst significantly down since 2008, haven't got any worse since the slump in 2009/10. This despite oil prices, APD, natural disasters and political revolution. Visits abroad by UK residents is 19% lower than in 2008, but we appear to have reached the nadir. Tunisia has made a strong recovery suggesting that tourists have short memories when there's value to be had.

The British Post office conducts a yearly audit of additional holiday costs across 40 destinations. These costs are aggregated for eight items such as a cup of coffee, bottle of lager, packet of Marlboro cigarettes and a three-course meal for two adults in a local restaurant with a bottle of house white wine. All 8 items cost £27.95 in Sri Lanka and at the other extreme, £115.69 in Brisbane Australia.

The drift to value continues, so the countries with a favourable rate of exchange like the Czech republic and Eurozone countries that provide value should do better in 2012.

Recent information from the British Airports Authority, suggests that travel from its airports in December benefited from the clement weather. Passengers using Heathrow in last month increased by 14.7% over the snow affected month of December 2010. Heathrow’s problem is that it has a flight capacity of 480,000 per year and it is already near that figure now.

Recessions end when people realise that the banking crisis, Euro sovereign debt and spending cuts haven't really affected them as individuals. Savers, disenchanted with their returns can be persuaded to spend, and for the cash strapped there are signs that borrowing for holidays is again rising in the USA.

2 comments:

Paul said...

Daz - I hope you are well. It has been a long time since i tried to sell you advertising in the Mail on sunday, but you were far too interested in Sarah Agnew!

I hope you are well, and that life is good to you.

I am back living in Belfast, having arrived back in 2002. I love it - its a great place.

I am emailing you in relation to an old client of yours - I think you worked for the Island of Mauritius?

The island is getting some very bad press in ireland just now http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18202919

And i think deservedly so.

You may be familiar with the murder case of Michaela Harte - she was a very popular lady in ireland, and her father mickey is a renowned football manager in Gaelic Football. I have worked with both Mickey her brother Mark, who is an absolute gentleman. They come from a very religious and upstanding family, and what is happening to them right now is shocking.

The murder itself was such a national shock, but the way in which this case is being handled by the legal system, and by the islanders is shocking beyond belief. It seems in murder, there is no justice and even less dignity.

I hope that the family can get some resolution to their pain and that those guilty of the crime are treated accordingly.

Keep well

Paul

paul@shift-control.co.uk

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