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Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
ADRs increase in most business destinations ... - Vietnam Travel news
Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. company, unveiled its 2011 Global Corporate Travel Benchmarking Study, evaluating the current business travel landscape and supply environment for air, hotel and car inventory. Focusing on top domestic and international business destinations in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, Egencia analyzed industry trends, supplier data and capacity implications in Q1 2011. Additionally, Egencia surveyed nearly 350 travel buyers globally regarding travel program expectations, policies and challenges.
?In any successful corporate travel program, information is key,? said Mark Hollyhead, Senior Vice President, Egencia Americas. ?It is our goal to inform our clients of current trends, challenges and opportunities, as we feel it is essential that these factors are utilized to fully optimize our clients? travel policy.?
The study reveals that average ticket prices (ATPs) for air travel have, on average, increased in North America, decreased in Asia Pacific and increased or decreased in Europe based on destination. Average daily rates (ADRs) for hotel stays have increased in the majority of business destinations, reversing previous trends. Increased ATPs can be largely attributed to rising fuel costs, tightly managed capacity and increased demand in some points of sale. Similarly, ADRs have increased in the majority of business destinations due to an increase in demand, reduction in new supply and improved occupancy rates.
?The pricing landscape has made a noticeable shift from this time last year,? said Chris Vukelich, Vice President, Supplier Relations, Egencia Americas. ?The once soft hotel landscape is now experiencing a strong return in demand alongside air. Even though ATPs and ADRs have increased, opportunities for savings can still be found. In addition to the opportune car pricing landscape, travel managers should look to their TMCs to identify additional savings opportunities in hotel.?
North America
As a result of increased cost pressures in Q1 2011, ATPs have increased for most routes departing from North America. These increases can be largely attributed to higher fuel prices, tighter management of capacity, strong demand on major corporate routes, and continued airline consolidation. For travel within North America, ATPs have increased by an average of 13 percent. ATPs for destinations in Europe are up one percent, and down four percent for Asia.
The chart below illustrates Q1 YoY ATP figures in selected business travel destinations for North American points of sale.
| North America POS | ATP Change YoY |
| Calgary | 28% |
| Montreal | 20% |
| Toronto | 19% |
| San Diego | 17% |
| Houston | 17% |
| Seattle | 16% |
| San Francisco | 15% |
| Chicago | 15% |
| Phoenix | 15% |
| Los Angeles | 13% |
| New York | 12% |
| Philadelphia | 11% |
| Denver | 11% |
| Dallas | 10% |
| Vancouver | 10% |
| Minneapolis | 9% |
| Atlanta | 7% |
| Washington DC | 4% |
| Boston | 3% |
| Hong Kong | 5% |
| Tokyo | -4% |
| Paris | -4% |
| London | -4% |
*Sources: ARC, Smith Travel Research, OAG, Expedia Internal Analysis Local currency
Europe
ATPs for European destinations decreased by an estimated four percent YoY, while ATPs to North American destinations increased by eight percent YoY.? Increased ATPs can be attributed to rising fuel prices (although the fuel price in Euros hasn?t risen as much as the fuel price in USD due to currency fluctuations), tightly managed capacity by airlines, and airline consolidation and alliances. Decreased ATPs can be attributed to overall financial vulnerability of the Euro-zone, increased competition from low cost carriers, increased competition with high speed rail, and slowing demand.
The chart below illustrates Q1 YoY ATP figures in top business destinations for European points of sale.
| European POS | ATP Change YoY |
| Munich | 9% |
| Dublin | 3% |
| Frankfurt am Main | 1% |
| Moscow | -3% |
| London | -3% |
| Madrid | -4% |
| Berlin | -4% |
| Glasgow | -5% |
| Amsterdam | -7% |
| Brussels | 0% |
| Stockholm | -10% |
| Barcelona | -11% |
| Manchester | -13% |
| Milan | -13% |
| Paris | 0% |
| Marseille | -10% |
| Chicago | 13% |
| Los Angeles | 9% |
| New York | 7% |
*Sources: ARC, Smith Travel Research, OAG, Expedia Internal Analysis Local currency
APAC
Asia-Pacific represents a mixed air pricing landscape, varying on a market-by-market basis. However, as a whole APAC is averaging a decrease in overall ATPs. Prices for Intra-APAC destinations have decreased by an average of two percent YoY, with prices for North American destinations down by an average of one percent YoY. Decreased ATPs can be attributed to increased competition in the local markets, increased capacity on the majority of routes, and the domestic and international pricing battle for Australia. Increased ATPs can be attributed to the mixed capacity environment for APAC destinations, increased fuel costs, potential of joint-ventures on trans-Pacific routes, and increased demand into India and China.
The chart below illustrates Q1 YoY ATP figures in top business destinations for APAC points of sale.
| APAC POS | ATP Change YoY |
| Hong Kong | 5% |
| Singapore | 4% |
| Melbourne | 2% |
| Mumbai | 0% |
| Beijing | -1% |
| Shanghai | -2% |
| Sydney | 5% |
| Delhi | 4% |
| Tokyo | 2% |
| New York | 0% |
| Los Angeles | -1% |
| San Francisco | -2% |
*Sources: ARC, Smith Travel Research, OAG, Expedia Internal Analysis Local currency
Hotel Average Daily Rates (ADRs)
In the first quarter of 2011, hotel ADRs increased in most major business destinations, reversing the downward trends from the previous year. The increase in ADRs can be attributed to the return of corporate demand, reduced scale of new supply, and improved occupancy. In contrast, the meetings & incentive business has yet to recover in several markets, and high fuel prices have cut into some discretionary income.
The charts below illustrate Q1 YoY ADR figures in selected business travel destinations globally.
| North America | ADR Change YoY? |
| Atlanta | 1% |
| Boston | 7% |
| Chicago | 5% |
| Dallas | 10% |
| Denver | 4% |
| Houston | 3% |
| Los Angeles | 7% |
| Minneapolis | 2% |
| New York | 6% |
| Philadelphia | 6% |
| Phoenix | 6% |
| San Diego | 5% |
| San Francisco | 17% |
| Seattle | 5% |
| Washington DC | 3% |
| Calgary | 5% |
| Montreal | 5% |
| Toronto | 3% |
| Vancouver | -27% |
*Sources: ARC, Smith Travel Research, OAG, Expedia Internal Analysis Reflected in local currency for each city
Car Rental Rates Per Day (RPD)
In the United States rates per day (RPD) have fallen on average by five percent YoY in Q1 of 2011, and are now back to rates seen in 2008. The decreased RPD can be attributed to the improving supply situation in the marketplace, as financing restrictions become less stringent for vendors. Additionally, larger companies have increased their fleets in anticipation of further industry consolidation.
Travel Management Trends
According to respondents of Egencia?s survey of nearly 350 travel buyers, 54 percent of buyers expect their travel volumes to increase during the remainder of 2011, with 17 percent planning to change their travel policies during the year. Additionally, 38 percent of travel buyers said they will negotiate more this year than they did in 2010.
Travel Managers universally identified cost control/reducing spend as the greatest challenge facing travel programs. Specific rankings of travel program challenges are as follows:
- Cost control/reducing expenses (79%)?
- Traveler satisfaction (43%)?
- Traveler compliance/policy enforcement (42%)
- Capturing a full view of travel spend (40%).
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Curcumin Changes Gene Function To Combat Cancer
At the world-renowned University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, researchers recently published a groundbreaking scientific review of their favorite anti-cancer nutrient ? curcumin. They reported that curcumin, along with other nutrients (e.g. tocotrienols, green tea, quercetin and resveratrol), can actually tell the difference between a healthy cell and a cancer cell.
According to Wellness Resources, here is how the researchers explained their interest in curcumin:
?In cancer cells, these nutrients help unleash a powerful response designed to kill the cancer. In the case of healthy cells, the nutrients promote survival and increase the ability of cells to tolerate stress. No current drugs have the ability to do this, even the newer biological medicines that are more like a gene shotgun.? Curcumin (diferuloylmethane)?commonly known as turmeric, is one of the most powerful and promising chemopreventive and anticancer agents? How curcumin exerts its powerful anticancer activities has been thoroughly investigated, and several mechanisms of action have been discovered ? curcumin exerts its biological activities through epigenetic modulation.?
Curcumin changes the regulation of DNA to help kill cancer. It not only influences epigenetic settings, it also manages the downstream consequences, helping to guide multiple steps in the way gene orders are implemented.
[Source]
Chapter: Cancer :: 16 June 2011
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TipsOfAllSorts/~3/m_0DZ9AJk78/
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Thursday, June 16, 2011
Libyan troops shell western rebel positions
MISRATA, June 15 ? Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces shelled rebel positions in the Western Mountains today, insurgents said, after rebel advances on three fronts brought them closer to the capital.
A rebel spokesman, called Kalefa, in the town of Nalut said there were no casualties from the shelling.
?Gaddafi's forces bombarded Nalut this morning ... Over 20 Grad rockets landed in the town. They bombarded from their positions ... around 20km east of Nalut,? he said.
?They also shelled the Wazin-Dehiba (Tunisian) border crossing.?
Fighting was relatively subdued today as rebels held positions towards Zlitan, east of Tripoli, and on other fronts, Reuters witnesses said.
Nato war planes bombed Tripoli yesterday night, causing loud explosions that filled the sky with plumes of smoke, but there were no further reports of bombing today.
Libyan state TV said the bombs had struck military and civilian targets in Firnag, one of the most populated areas in the capital, and Ain Zara. It said there were casualties.
Yesterday, the rebels tried to advance in the east, setting their sights on the oil town of Brega to extend their control over the region, epicentre of the four-month rebellion against Gaddafi's four-decade rule.
A Reuters correspondent with the rebels said there were no further advances in the region today.
Nato defence chiefs met in Belgrade to discuss the mission, after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates accused some European allies of failing to pull their weight.
Ties are straining in the alliance, with some reluctant to commit additional resources needed to sustain the bombing mission in the coming months.
Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will meet British Prime Minister David Cameron in London to discuss the nearly three-month-old operation, which has so far failed to oust Gaddafi or enable the rebels to capture Tripoli.
A senior Nato commander appeared to raise questions about the alliance's ability to handle a long-term intervention.
?We are conducting this operation with all the means we have ... If the operation were to last long, of course, the resource issue will become critical,? General Stephane Abrial said late yesterday.
In a sign that Gaddafi's forces may be getting stretched, the rebels seized the town of Kikla, 150km southwest of Tripoli. They also pushed several kilometres west of their Misrata stronghold to the outskirts of government-held Zlitan.
But they have a way to go if they are to successfully march on Gaddafi's well-defended territory in the Libyan capital.
Push to Zlitan halted
The push to Kikla followed weeks of deadlock between the rag-tag rebel army and government forces, though air strikes by Nato have taken their toll on Gaddafi's better-equipped troops.
The rebels said a Nato leaflet warning of helicopter strikes had prevented them from pushing towards the town of Zlitan yesterday, and had prompted some rebels to retreat from their newly captured positions about 10km outside the city towards their base in Misrata, east of Tripoli.
A Nato official said the alliance did drop leaflets warning of the possibility of attack by helicopters, but said this was west of Misrata, and closer to Zlitan.
A Reuters correspondent in Misrata said there were no further advances towards Zlitan today.
A rebel leader in the Mediterranean port city said the oil refinery there was still out of action after Gaddafi's forces shelled it on Monday, but petrol stations were working.
?The oil refinery ... will resume again soon,? said Khalifa Zuwawi, chairman of the transitional council in Misrata.
Even without the threat of Nato attack, the rebels said they would not attack Zlitan, citing tribal sensitivities. Instead they would wait for the local inhabitants to rise up.
A Nato official said warplanes had hit an ammunition store at Waddan, not far from Al Jufrah, after Libyan television said Al Jufrah, in central Libya, had been bombed for a second day. ? Reuters
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Armenia 'ready for Turkish ties'
Mr Sarkisian said relations with Azerbaijan should not be an obstacle Armenia's prime minister says it is ready to establish diplomatic relations with Turkey without any pre-conditions.
"Having closed borders in the 21st Century is nonsense," Tigran Sarkisian told the BBC Russian Service.
The two countries have been deeply suspicious of each other for decades, and their border has remained closed since 1993.
Mr Sarkisian said he wanted Turkey's new government to show consistency in moving towards a rapprochement.
Opening the border, he said, would be a vital step in this direction.
Turkey and Armenia signed a historic deal in 2009 to re-establish diplomatic ties, and said they hoped the opening of the border would follow.
But that pact broke down as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted it depended on Armenia resolving its conflict with Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
There is no indication that Mr Erdogan, who has just been re-elected, has changed his position.
Mr Sarkisian issued a stark warning to Azerbaijan, saying his country was fully prepared to go to war again, if Azerbaijan tried to take Nagorno-Karabakh by force.
"We have a bellicose partner," he said, "so the only way to ensure there is peace in the region is to be prepared for war. The balance of power in the region needs to remain intact."
But a spokesman for the foreign ministry of Azerbaijan told the BBC Russian Service this approach "completely defied any logic".
"We are committed to peace negotiations, and this process is underway," he said, "but we can't be holding talks for the sake of talks. Armenia has to withdraw its army from the region first - that will help put an end to war-mongering rhetoric."
Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war in 1993 over Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave within Azerbaijan mostly populated by ethnic-Armenians.
Up to 25,000 people were killed, about one million people lost their homes, and Azerbaijan lost approximately 20% of its territory.
Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a ceasefire in 1994, but there is still no peace agreement between them.
But Nagorno-Karabakh is just one of the many issues Armenia and Turkey have been struggling to deal with.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since 1915, when - according to the Armenians - as many as 1.5 million people were killed by the Ottoman Turks. Turkey has always claimed the deaths were a result of World War I, famine and disease.
Armenia wants Turkey to recognise the killings as genocide - though it insists this is not a pre-condition for dialogue.
According to the Armenian government, neither should be the divisive issue of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan will be meeting later this month in the Russian city of Kazan. The meeting will be chaired by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev - but very few are confident that the three leaders will find a quick solution to the issue which has remained unresolved for almost 20 years.
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-europe-13791571
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