The mayor of the West Midlands has called for a direct flight between Birmingham and Mumbai.

Andy Street is petitioning both Air India and the Indian Government to install the route, with hundreds already backing his campaign.

It comes after the former John Lewis boss met India’s aviation minister last year to make the business case for the direct route.

Currently there is a direct flight between Birmingham and Delhi, but those wanting to travel to Mumbai from the Midlands need to make the 185km journey south to London Heathrow.

Jet Airways used to operate a direct flight to Mumbai from Manchester but this stopped when the airline collapsed.

Mr Street said: “The Midlands serves a large Indian community of nearly 500,000 people, with significant populations in Birmingham, Leicester, Northampton, Nottingham, Sandwell and Wolverhampton.

“I am really pleased there is an Air India flight to Delhi from Birmingham but if people need to go to Mumbai they have to travel to Heathrow. Given the significant business (Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, Rolls Royce, Bharat Forge, Pattonair and Bombardier to name a few) links between the Midlands and India, and the strength of the diaspora, there is strong demand for a direct flight between Birmingham and Mumbai.

“As well as the business case there is also the personal case, as the new route will allow thousands of families to reconnect far easier with family and friends in India.

“The Midlands and India have a wonderful relationship, but it is time we strengthened that with a new route.”

The mayor’s petition, which can be found on change.org, has garnered more than 930 signatures at the time of writing.

One of them, Petro Nicolaides, said: “I believe the links between the West Midlands and Mumbai for both trade and the diaspora are essential for both regions.

“The need and demand warrants a direct flight.”

Titiksha Shah added: “I am a regular traveller to Mumbai for business and would be very pleased to have a direct flight.”

To sign Mr Street’s petition, visit www.change.org/p/air-india-we-need-a-direct-flight-to-mumbai-from-birmingham

Red Rocks Cultural Center in Rwanda founder Greg Bakunzi has been appointed as the latest board member of the African Tourism Board. He is a star in African Tourism with a vision for the industry, for sustainability, and for his unique approach in generating business to Rwanda and the whole of Africa.

Just in February Mr. Bakunzi made his country Rwanda proud when he was featured on the global tourism and conservation map as the founder of Red Rocks Cultural Center and claimed another award during the 10th Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR) awards. The event was organized jointly by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), FITUR, and Casa Africa.

ATB President Alain St. Ange welcomed Greg to his Board appointment saying: “It’s a good day for African Tourism. I am very pleased Mr. Bakunzi agreed to join our board and share his leadership and vision with Africa. This is great news for our new organization.”

Greg reached out to fellow members and the African Tourism Industry saying: “It is with great honor and appreciation that I thank you for this great opportunity to be a productive part of the African tourism board, I truly appreciate the courtesy you have extended to me.

Thank you again for your confidence in me. I am looking forward to beginning my work as a part of your organization. My journey in tourism and community development spans over 15 years and as a newly appointed board member of the ATB am excited to bring my expertise and knowledge to support further implementation of the objectives of the African Tourism Board.

I started back in 2001 as a tour guide and eventually founded my company Amahoro Tours which has grown since back in 2008 I saw my business grow to a level that I was proud of. After that, in 2011, I thought I should do something else without giving up Amahoro Tours, that’s when I came up with Red Rocks Rwanda as a cultural center, which is which now works with Red Rocks initiative for Sustainable Development, a non-profit organization operating in Africa working with individuals and groups to encourage, support, and celebrate more sustainable actions through creating awareness of Global warming and also ending the use of plastic seed bags, thus preserving our natural  resources and cultural heritage with the purpose of promoting tourism and environmental conservation as the leading sustainable community empowerment tool to uplift the socio-economic status of our members.

I am looking forward to using my capacity as an advocate for responsible tourism that benefits the surrounding communities and areas through providing jobs and ensuring that we understand what challenges communities face and how to overcome them by using their abilities as a base for finding sustainable solutions.

According to a report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the travel industry will double in the next 5 years, generating trillions annually and as part of my personal strategy is to position our destinations as travelers favorites, by agreeing  with the belief that prioritizing sustainability in the tourism sector means people and economies will in general greatly benefit because of globally the  African continent has much more exciting and abundant natural attractions to offer travelers.

It is against this background that I will use my platform to encourage others to fully understand that we need to shape up or change our mindsets and acknowledge the fact that community and tourism is beneficial to the development of our travel destinations

As a passionate community development advocate, am pleased to let you know that Red Rocks has been given international awards for the work we have been doing. Most recently Red Rocks were selected as one of the best community tourism organizations in Rwanda by the Chamber of Tourism. We have been also been awarded by the United Nations as one of the best tourism initiative organizations in #Africa and Green Destination Travel has given us a certificate for Best Green Destination Travel Area.

In my opinion, my biggest achievements are different events and conferences I have attended around the world. These events show me that there is actually a lot more to do than what I did. The best part of the conference is where I pick something and share with other people in the same industry and my plans are to use Red Rocks in the future and I want it to be one of the best ecotourism destinations in the region and on the continent.

I understand that this task comes with responsibilities and am glad to offer my best of effort for the great advancement of tourism development, and tourism investment in the region.

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to be a part of the African Tourism Board and I look forward to the work we have ahead of us.”

Travel expert Doug Lansky will keynote the Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF) event at Hyatt Regency Miami, June 21-23, 2019.

The annual event, now in its fifth year, welcomes more than 400 hospitality and tourism professionals from the Caribbean and The Americas and features expert speakers and presenters on timely travel and tourism topics.

Lansky, a travel author and editor, is a tourism development leader who advises destinations and tourism companies in a number of countries on strategic branding, marketing, the visitor experience, industry trends and sustainability. His 20 years of writing experience spans publications ranging from National Geographic Traveler through The Guardian, Lonely Planet and Skift.

"We welcome Doug to CHIEF to share with us his insights on how hoteliers, tourism businesses and destinations in the region can adapt and implement strategies to improve their competitiveness in an ever-changing industry," said Frank Comito, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), producers of the annual event.

This year's lively and informative agenda focuses on tourism's trending topics, including adapting to new booking solutions, maintaining a productive environment in a multigenerational and diverse cultural workplace; what's hot and trending in food and beverage; what guests are seeking in a Caribbean vacation today; trends, opportunities and challenges facing businesses and the region over the next five years; and understanding guest diversity to more effectively market and maximize return on investment.

General sessions, which include speakers and panelists from top-tier travel brands, will focus on "Tomorrow's Talent Today: The Dynamics of Human Capital"; "Turning Imagination into Reality: What Guests will be Seeking in a Caribbean Vacation"; "Who's Got Umami and How Can I Get Some?" and "Cannabis to Crypto - Are you Ready for What's Next?"

The CHIEF 2019 theme is "Vision 2024: Embracing Change, Diversity and Growth", which looks at the future of the travel industry, its effects on the Caribbean and discusses how industry partners can work together to face the challenges ahead.

Comito adds that a hallmark of CHIEF is engagement: "Sessions are structured to be lively and fun, with a healthy interchange among panelists and the audience. This will invigorate participants and stimulate greater networking, one of the key benefits and objectives of CHIEF".

CHIEF is one of three CHTA events scheduled in June. Taste of the Caribbean, also taking place at Hyatt Regency Miami from June 21-25, 2019, features top culinary teams from more than a dozen Caribbean nations and territories as they compete for recognition and awards. In addition, CHTA shares their talent through its signature cultural celebration, entitled Caribbean305, to be held on Saturday, June 22, 2019 in Miami.

This year's CHIEF host sponsor is Interval International, while Platinum sponsors include Figment Design, Marketplace Excellence, MasterCard, OBMI and STR. Gold sponsors are 7 Pillars of Digital Marketing, ADA International, Arrivalist, Aruba - a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, Caymera International, Oracle Hospitality, SportsArt, TravelClick, Travel Relations, TravPro Mobile, Tropical Shipping, and WineSchool3.

Cartagena, the colonial port city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, represented by COTELCO Cartagena, joined the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) as its 33rd destination and the first commercial association to join the regional association in more than 15 years.

COTELCO Cartagena, a chapter of Colombia's hotel and tourism association, has 56 affiliated hotels and more than 4,000 hotel rooms, including brands such as GHL Hotels, Hilton, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Karisma Hotels and Resorts, Movich Hotels, Radisson Hotels and Resorts, Sofitel and Hyatt. In Colombia, COTELCO Nacional has 900 affiliate hotels throughout the country with a presence in 23 departments.

"We are absolutely delighted that COTELCO Cartagena, which represents the jewel in the crown of Colombia, has joined CHTA with its brilliant fusion of Caribbean and Latin American culture adding enormously to the rich diversity of our organization," said Frank Comito, CEO and Director General of the organization that represents the interests of the private sector throughout the region.

The Caribbean port of Cartagena de Indias was founded in 1533 and its old walled city and fortress, called colonial city, once repelled invaders and pirates. These days, thanks to the efforts of COTELCO, the charming city now welcomes visitors to its tiled roofs, balconies, flower-filled courtyards and lively social life.

The history of Cartagena, where the treasure of gold and silver of the New World was sent to the Old World, is impregnated with romance and drama and is the final resting place of the great liberator Simón Bolívar. The heroic history of Cartagena is evident in the ancient churches that were built as fortresses to reject pirates and foreign invaders such as Sir Francis Drake.

"Cartagena is one of the Colombian Caribbean cities with the greatest tourist potential and one of the most visited in the country. Its monumental treasure, which is a World Heritage Site, declared by UNESCO, and which is in an excellent state of preservation, constitutes one of its greatest attractions," said Monica Mass Tinoco, Executive Director COTELCO Cartagena. " The perfect combination of sea, walls, legends and history, distinguish our destination as a unique brand of the Caribbean. It also has the archipelago of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, an island area that offers white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, and you can reach it in 40 minutes, by speedboat from the docks of the old city."

Cartagena, a popular tourism destination in Colombia, has a wide variety of attractions and climates - from coral reefs and steep peaks of the highest coastal mountain range in the world, located in Santa Marta. As well as an exuberant variety of marine species and wildlife, Colombia has more than 1,900 types of birds, the largest variety of avian life in the world.

"There is an indefinable quality about Cartagena that is difficult to understand if you have not been touched by the magical realism introduced to the world by Nobel Laureate Gabriel García Márquez, but there is no doubt about the impressive cultural and artistic heritage of this country," said Martha Valdivia, CHTA's Director of Membership Development.  "They have such a rich hotel product which comprises a mixture of old historical culture and new modern facilities, and of course, the impressive beaches that we know and love in the Caribbean," added Valdivia.

Raúl Bustamante, General Manager of Intercontinental Cartagena, said that Cartagena represents "the door of entry from the region to Latin America ... and as such, we have much that we can contribute to the association, (while) at the same time ... learn from our new colleagues and friends who are members of CHTA. "

The admission of COTELCO Cartagena into CHTA was unanimously approved at CHTA's Board of Directors meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica in January.

Durban is the official host of the largest travel industry trade show in Africa, Indaba, that opened yesterday. Sibusiso Mngoma, Senior Manager, Information & Tourism Sevices at Durban Tourism wants African Tourism Board to hold its first conference in this multi-cultural showpiece of a global destination.

This was discussed in a meeting with African Tourism Board Vice President Cuthbert Ncube and CEO Doris Woerfel.

The Zulu Kingdom, or the Province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa has a devout following throughout continental Africa. Nowhere else in the world will one find such a unique fusion of raw natural beauty, modern sophistication, cultural diversity and pulsating energy – all in the most breath-taking natural setting.

Durban has become the hub of Tourism with its diverse cultural products, a Province that has a rich cultural history.

African Tourism Board interim chairman Juergen Steinmetz commented from the U.S: “This South African multi-cultural city is the ideal place for all of Africa to come together and celebrate the beauty of the African continent as one destination. Thank you to our CEO and VP to open the doors for our young organization to get to know Sibusiso Mngoma and his team in KwaZula-Natal. We will certainly consider this generous offer.”

Cuthbert Ncube added: “Durban Tourism suggested to host us during the Month of September 2020 if we are ready, being the month of Tourism.”

Founded in 2018, the African Tourism Board is an association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from, and within the African region.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a new campaign to help local holiday and travel businesses improve the clarity of their terms and conditions.

The ‘Small Print, Big Difference’ campaign is being run in partnership with the lead associations representing the holiday and travel industry, including ABTA – The Travel Association, UKHospitality and the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) amongst others.

As holidaymakers get ready to make the most of the Easter break, the CMA’s campaign is calling on holiday and travel businesses to ‘check in’ and make sure they are using fair terms and conditions in their customer contracts. It also encourages businesses to be upfront and clear with their customers about charges and fees, especially in the event of a customer cancellation.

Holidays can be an expensive outgoing with people in the UK spending an estimated £81 billion on them at home and abroad in the 12 months to April 2018. However, some holidaymakers may have to cancel their plans due to changes in circumstances such as an illness or death in the family.

Under consumer law, businesses may be entitled to ask customers to pay a cancellation fee to cover their losses, but the amount they keep must be in proportion to what they are losing. Cancellation terms that don’t follow this approach are likely to be unfair and businesses can’t rely on them to resolve claims or disputes with customers.

A national survey of 2,000 people by Ipsos Mori, released by the CMA today, shows what members of the public feel should happen if they have to cancel a trip. Regional results for the West Midlands show that:

• 90% think they should get all, or most, of their money back if they cancel and the business re-sells their booking
• 86% feel that it’s unfair if they have to pay part of the full cost of a booking when they cancel
• 65% feel that travel and holiday businesses do not always make it easy to cancel a booking as they should

A term can be legally unfair if it gives the business an unfair advantage. Examples of unfair terms can include those which allow a business to take a large, upfront deposit and refuse to refund any of the customer’s money if they cancel, regardless of the amount the business is losing or the reason for the customer cancelling.

Another example is when a business insists on a large cancellation fee which bears no relation to the actual losses it experiences from the cancellation. A term is more likely to be fair if it clearly explains how a charge reflects what a business will genuinely lose from a cancellation, and the way this charge is calculated is reasonable.

Douglas Cooper, a Project Director at the CMA and Regional Champion for the Midlands, said: “With billions of pounds spent on domestic tourism trips to hotspots such as Birmingham in the West Midlands each year, we are calling on travel businesses in the region to ‘check in’ on their terms. Nobody wants to cancel a trip or holiday. If they have to, it’s important that they are treated fairly and don’t lose out more than is absolutely necessary.

“Whilst fair terms can reassure customers about the business they are working with, unfair terms can’t be enforced – and therefore won’t protect companies if they are challenged. It might be small print, but it makes a big difference.”

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA, said: “At ABTA, we recognise the importance of customers feeling confident that they are buying from a business that commits to treating them fairly. ABTA has discussed its model terms and conditions with the CMA, and along with the ABTA Code of Conduct, I am confident they provide our Members with a strong framework to ensure they are compliant with the regulations and are fair for customers.

“There are circumstances when a cancellation charge may apply, but it must genuinely reflect the costs of cancellations faced by the travel company. We always encourage people to take out travel insurance as soon as they book their holiday, which should protect them from the costs for most cancellations.”

Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “The CMA’s campaign has followed legislation aimed at providing crucial accuracy and transparency for both businesses and customers. It is vitally important that our customers have full confidence when they make a booking with a hotel, a restaurant, a B&B or any other hospitality business.

“A clear understanding of terms and conditions can help foster an open and responsive relationship that gives our customers peace of mind and boosts businesses.”

Derek Moore, Chairman of AITO, said: “AITO - The Specialist Travel Association welcomes the CMA’s timely reminder to its members to make sure that their booking conditions are fit for purpose and fair to the consumer. With the myriad of travel organisers, many from outside the UK and EU, targeting UK consumers, understandable and transparent conditions have never been more important”.

The CMA’s campaign invites local businesses to ‘check-in’ on their terms to make sure they’re being fair to their customers, by using the CMA’s advice to help them review their contracts.

A new website (www.gov.uk/fairterms) contains accessible advice and information for businesses on unfair contract terms law and what they can look for when reviewing their terms and conditions. In addition, the CMA has produced detailed guidance to help businesses and their legal teams understand how to apply the law.