Finding words to describe 2020 is not easy.

BTN would prefer to forget the last nine months although in truth many harsh lessons have been learnt.

As these remarks are written the United Kingdom is not sure where its future lies, except that it is an independent country and not part of a European federation.  It makes its own laws to suit the UK.

This year is in the past and we can only look to the future, especially in the complex world of business travel.

Business Travel News in its own way covers the whole spectrum, the actual travellers and their booking procedures, individually, by company or travel service provider; and the actual movement component whether it be airline, airport or landside service provider.  Plus the complex industry providing the background to it all.  What BTN tries to do is introduce the news in an uncomplicated way, for readers to follow up, with perhaps a little humour.  This package seems to work.

Zoom, Webinar and video conferencing are here to stay but their role is limited.  

Last week’s successful FTE-APEX virtual gathering was OK but not the real thing.  World Travel Market and World Aviation Conference followed the same theme but were not physical events.  The next FTE-APEX is scheduled for Long Beach (LA) October 2021 with European and Los Angeles events earlier in the year.  The ideal is a packed auditorium with perhaps an individual speaker appearing on a huge screen.  Delegates can then network! And it is the meeting face to face (at 2m) that really counts.  All of us can recall that chance encounter or introduction that was a life changer, whether on a personal basis, or in terms of business.

It is not going to happen overnight but with the advent of vaccines and hopefully a common travel passport the industry needs to set an example and get travelling.  And the more travel the need for rest is required.  And with that more leisure tourism!

Malcolm Ginsberg