Simon Calder: How the pandemic brought the world’s leading travel industry to its knees
Pandemic panic led to ‘millions of taxpayers’ cash blown on measures with no apparent plan or proof that it was working to protect public health’
Travel Correspondent for The Independent newspaper and Keynote Speaker at 2024’s ASAP Annual Conference Simon Calder outlines the timeline for the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, its influence on the UK’s travel industry, and questions whether all the decisions taken were really needed.
More News & Views

by Becky Hoyle
•
12 March 2026
ASAP Operator Member Frasers Hospitality a business unit of Frasers Property Limited, has unveiled a series of comprehensive asset enhancement initiatives (AEIs) spanning four gateway-city assets across Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne and Singapore. The asset enhancement strategy reflects Frasers Hospitality’s disciplined capital deployment approach aimed at sustaining value, enhancing income resilience and reinforcing long-term portfolio performance. Briefly, these encompass: Capri by Fraser, Kensington / London: Global debut of refreshed brand identity Novotel Melbourne on Collins: Inventory optimisation and brand alignment The Westin Kuala Lumpur: Strengthened premium segment with sustainability upgrade Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore: Luxury heritage transformation for long-term value accretion Across all four properties, the AEIs are aligned with structural trends reshaping global hospitality demand, including the rising preference for experiential and design-led environments, and heightened institutional focus on sustainability performance and operational resilience. Read more

by Becky Hoyle
•
12 March 2026
ASAP Operator Member Frasers Hospitality a business unit of Frasers Property Limited, has unveiled a series of comprehensive asset enhancement initiatives (AEIs) spanning four gateway-city assets across Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne and Singapore. The asset enhancement strategy reflects Frasers Hospitality’s disciplined capital deployment approach aimed at sustaining value, enhancing income resilience and reinforcing long-term portfolio performance. Briefly, these encompass: Capri by Fraser, Kensington / London: Global debut of refreshed brand identity Novotel Melbourne on Collins: Inventory optimisation and brand alignment The Westin Kuala Lumpur: Strengthened premium segment with sustainability upgrade Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore: Luxury heritage transformation for long-term value accretion Across all four properties, the AEIs are aligned with structural trends reshaping global hospitality demand, including the rising preference for experiential and design-led environments, and heightened institutional focus on sustainability performance and operational resilience. Read more
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