Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #33

THE PROFESSIONAL BUYERS’ REFERENCE 

ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS 

#15 / SEE IT WHILE 

YOU STILL CAN 

SPOTLIGHT ON EUROPE 

#24 / INBOUND TOURISM 

RESILIENCE AND GROWTH 

INNOVATIONS 

& TECHNOLOGIES 

#38 / IOT – WHAT’S 

GOOD & WHAT’S NOT 

ONCE YOU GET TO 

A CERTAIN LEVEL OF 

LUXURY, YOU LITERALLY 

CAN FEEL A PROPERTY 

BASED ON THE 

PERSONALITY OF NOT ONLY 

THE GM, BUT EVEN MORE 

SO THE OWNER 

MATTHEW 

D. UPCHURCH 

Chairman & CEO, 

Virtuoso 

#33 - 2017 WINTER EDITION / A CLEVERDIS PUBLICATION

Richard Barnes 

Editor-in-chief 

richard.barnes@cleverdis.com 

Tel: +33 (0) 4 42 77 46 00 

Hotel & Tourism 

SMARTreport #33 

2017 Winter Edition 5 

FOREWORD 

TRAVEL & TOURISM INTELLIGENCE: 

A DIFFERENT ANGLE OF ATTACK 

At the recent ILTM show in Cannes, I had the chance to discuss at 

length with Virtuoso CEO & Chairman Matthew D. Upchurch. This was 

obviously interesting from several points of view. None the least was his 

clear explanation of the very “different” philosophy of his organisation 

– the essence of its success. Indeed, it’s a question of how to “process” 

intelligence (information) in the tourism sector. 

In some way, at our very modest level, our own philosophy of 

“Information Intelligence” is along similar lines to this. Today, more 

than ever, there is too much information readily available to anyone 

at anytime. Access to the information is not a problem. Channelling it 

and understanding how to apply it is. Much like in the travel industry 

itself, the strength of a media such as this SMARTreport lies in having 

the right connections and sources, and knowing how and when to 

use them, with a firm understanding of how our readers want or need 

to use the information, so I would like to think we’re perhaps on a 

wavelength with Mr Upchurch! Virtuoso has the brilliant approach of 

understanding that the agent’s role is not to know everything about the 

places, but to get the right “intel” through an unparalleled network of 

in-the-field contacts. We are thus proud today to spotlight the “man at 

the helm” of this organisation that has it “worked out”. 

In this issue, we look back at an exceptional ILTM Cannes, bringing you 

key news and highlights. We also look at the increasingly lucrative highend 

wedding tourism market, and in our regional spotlight, we look at 

developments in Europe. 

Our innovations and technologies section spotlights the Internet 

of Things, and how this is changing the face of hospitality. We also 

examine the onset of artificial intelligence in the guestroom… 

All in all, we trust that the “information intelligence” in this issue will 

help guide you on your way to a brilliant 2017! 

6 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 

6 THE SPECIALIST IN ME 

Matthew D. Upchurch Chairman 

and CEO, Virtuoso 

9 NEW HOTELS, NEW IDEAS 

Philip Ho, SVP EMEA & APAC Leading Hotels of 

the World and Chris Walker, SVP Sales Americas 

Leading Hotels of the World 

10 EVENTS 

10 IHIF BERLIN - 

THE MEETING OF GLOBAL 

COLLABORATION 

11 CHANGES AFOOT @ ITB BERLIN 

12 EHMA AGM - “DISRUPTORS OF 

LUXURY HOSPITALITY” 

13 TECHNOLOGY UNDER SPOTLIGHT 

AT ATM 

14 EVENTS CALENDAR 

15 ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS 

15 “SEE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN”: 

VIRTUOSO LUXE REPORT 

16 IN THE FIELD WITH EVELYNE GAUDIN 

THE ROMANCE MARKET 

17 GETTING THE BIG DAY JUST RIGHT 

CONTENTS 

18 ALWAYS IN THE KNOW 

Lia Batkin and Seth Kaplan, 

In the Know Experiences 

19 ILTM CANNES 2016 

22 NEW MAN AT THE HELM 

OF THE TAHA’A 

Laurent Campi, General Manager, 

Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa 

23 A NEW CHALLENGE – AND AN 

EXCEPTIONAL PROJECT 

Julien Bressolles, General Manager, Bora Bora 

Pearl Beach Resort and Spa 

25 SELMAN MARRAKECH - 

THE PURSUIT OF A DREAM… 

26 BALINESE CULTURE – UP CLOSE AND 

PERSONAL 

27 EUROPE 

27 EUROPEAN TOURISM: RESILIENCE 

IN UNCERTAIN TIMES 

28 AIR TRANSPORT 

IATA PREDICTS REBOUND FOR AIR 

TRANSPORT IN EUROPE IN 2017 

29 NEW ORGANISATION, NEW STRATEGY 

Franck Terner, CEO, Air France 

30 AIR TRANSPORT NEWS 

31 EUROPE INBOUND 

• TRENDS & FIGURES 

WIND OF CHANGE 

32 EUROPE INBOUND 

POSITIVE GROWTH FORECAST 

FOR EU TOURISM 

Eduardo Santander, Executive Director, 

European Travel Commission 

33 • TRENDING DESTINATIONS 

FRANCE: THE “HOW TO” GUIDE 

34 SPOTLIGHT ON AARHUS AND PAPHOS 

35 • TRENDING HOTELS 

LE MARIANNE – PARIS – THE 

“PARISIAN RESIDENCE OF CHOICE” 

35 ASHFORD CASTLE, VIRTUOSO’S 

HOTEL OF THE YEAR 

37 SOPHISTICATED NEW SUITES @ THE 

SAVOY 

37 A NEW BREED OF SERENE LUXURY 

@ LAKE COMO 

38 EUROPE OUTBOUND 

• TRENDS & FIGURES 

EUROPEAN OUTBOUND TRAVEL UP 2.5% 

39 HOTELS THAT MAKE EUROPEAN 

CLIENTS FEEL AT HOME 

Franck Savoy, Director, Casa Del Mar, Santa Monica 

41 INNOVATIONS 

& TECHNOLOGIES 

41 WHEN COMPLEXITY IS 

TRANSFORMED INTO EFFICIENCY 

AND SIMPLICITY 

42 KEYS? WHAT KEYS? 

Joshua Sloser, Vice President of Digital Product 

& Innovation, Hilton Worldwide 

44 STAYING POWER… 

A day in the life of the display-driven hotel 

of the future … By Samsung 

46 IN THE FIELD WITH DAVID ESSERYK 

THE BENEFITS OF IOT (INTERNET 

OF THINGS) FOR THE HOSPITALITY 

INDUSTRY

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

THE SPECIALIST 

Virtuoso Chairman and CEO Matthew D. Upchurch on 

Matthew D. 

Upchurch 

Chairman and CEO, 

Virtuoso 

Cleverdis editor-in-chief 

Richard Barnes caught up 

with the head of Virtuoso 

– the industry’s leading luxury 

travel network – at December’s 

ILTM show in Cannes. Chatting 

about recent TV appearances 

across Europe, it was made clear 

that the role of the travel advisor 

still needs some demystifying. 

Upchurch dots the i’s. 

There was some confusion about 

whether our network was made up 

of generalists or specialists. Actually, 

great Virtuoso travel advisors are 

both. They have a broad knowledge 

base and worldwide relationships 

that make them generalists. More 

importantly, though, they are 

specialists: specialists in the client. So 

the follow-on question is often, “Wait 

a minute, how can a specialist in me, 

who I think is a generalist, compete 

when it comes to both knowledge 

and buying power with a ‘true 

specialist’?” This is the interesting 

part of why our profession is doing so 

well now. 

If I’m a Virtuoso advisor, I really 

know you; I know your family, and I 

know what you like. Imagine a UKbased 

Virtuoso advisor wants to send 

someone to Mexico. This is where 

the global Virtuoso network comes 

into place, because we have curated 

Virtuoso on-site operators all over the 

world. So now the UK advisor can say, 

“Oh, you want to go to Mexico and 

do something really interesting like 

the Copper Canyon, or something 

like that? Then let’s get together in a 

three-way Skype call directly with our 

Virtuoso partners in Mexico.” Any 

well-educated, well-travelled person 

knows it’s impossible for an advisor to 

be an expert at everything. So there’s 

a kind of transparency with the 

advisor who says, “Of course I don’t 

know everything, but I am judged by 

how well I interact with you, by my 

knowledge and my network and my 

contacts.” 

ONCE YOU GET 

TO A CERTAIN LEVEL 

OF LUXURY, YOU 

LITERALLY CAN FEEL 

A PROPERTY BASED 

ON THE PERSONALITY 

OF NOT ONLY THE GM, 

BUT EVEN MORE SO 

THE OWNER 

What about millennials? How do 

you work with them? 

The fastest growing group of new 

clients for us right now – a generation 

I was told was going to be the end 

of us – are the millennials. Millennials 

are the first digital native generation: 

the first generation that was born 

into a world where the de facto way 

of booking travel was DIY online. So




IN ME 

what it takes to be a great travel advisor 

for them, luxury is not having to do it 

themselves, and more importantly in a 

world of social media and less brand 

loyalty, they don’t believe brands, they 

believe friends and influencers. They’ve 

come back to the fact that it’s not what 

you know, but who you know. 

What’s changed over time for the 

advisors and the way they work? 

Ten or fifteen years ago, if you became 

a travel advisor, you’d be given a 

cubicle and a GDS and maybe you 

would take a couple of fam trips a year. 

Today, however, travel advisors are at 

the forefront of being digital nomads. 

One agency owner came to our 

symposium in Cape Town, and went to 

check out one of the Singita properties. 

She posted a photo of herself and her 

number two in an infinity pool with 

elephants in the background and her 

laptop, saying, “Here we are checking 

out Singita and helping our clients all 

over the world.” I saw that photo and 

I went crazy. I said, “That’s the coolest 

thing I’ve seen!” Facebook went crazy 

with it as well. The next time she did 

a retreat with her staff members, this* 

was the photo she posted on social 

media – at Eden Roc in St Barth. I 

showed this photo at Cornell to all the 

hotel management school kids, and 

I can tell you there’s a lot of people 

interested in being travel advisors now. 

How important is it to include 

owners and GMs in the picture? 

It’s very important, because there is a 

transmission of human connection. 

Many years ago, the GM of Sheen Falls 

was standing there at Virtuoso Travel 

Week, and at that time I had really 

started to notice the number of GMs 

that were coming to our meeting. I 

said to him, “I’m really curious. You’re 

a GM, and I am honoured that you are 

here, and I thank you for that… But I 

want to ask you a question from your 

perspective. Why did you, as a GM, 

bother to come?” He looked at me 

like I was an idiot, in a very nice way, 

and said, “Don’t you know?”… And I 

responded, “What do you mean?”… 

Then he said, “It is common knowledge 

among the hotels in Virtuoso that those 

hotels where the GM is personally 

involved in the relationships get a 

disproportionate amount of business 

from the network than those that 

aren’t.” It was the same way back then 

for Antonio Sersale from Le Sirenuse 

in Italy… These days, I hold a brunch 

meeting before the opening session 

at the Bellagio just for owners. The 

phenomenon that began ten or fifteen 

years ago is gaining momentum. Now, 

at the brunch, I’ll be introducing the 

owner of the Brando, Richard Bailey, 

to other owners like Luke Bailes 

from Singita, and so on, and it keeps 

growing and growing. Now we have 

hotel owners walking around building 

relationships, because once you get to 

a certain level of luxury, you literally can 

feel a property based on the personality 

of not only the GM, but even more so 

the owner. It becomes very personal 

IF I’M A 

VIRTUOSO ADVISOR, 

I REALLY KNOW 

YOU; I KNOW YOUR 

FAMILY, AND 

I KNOW WHAT 

YOU LIKE. 

Virtuoso travel advisors in pool 

at Eden Roc, St Barth

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 




Philip Ho 

SVP EMEA & APAC 


Chris Walker 

SVP Sales Americas 


NEW HOTELS, NEW IDEAS 

Leading Hotels of the World cater to the “curious traveller” 

Philip Ho – SVP EMEA & APAC and Chris Walker – SVP Sales Americas for Leading 

Hotels of the World met at ILTM Cannes with Cleverdis editor-in-chief Richard 

Barnes, and spoke about the evolution of their group… He firstly asked about 

LHW’s trademark “curious traveller”… 

Chris Walker: They are people who feel 

travel is essential to their life. It’s not an 

option where some years they travel and 

some years they don’t. It defines who they 

are. They’re out on the road ten times a year 

or more, so they’re heavy, heavy travellers, 

and our biggest opportunity with our broad 

portfolio of hotels is to really move them 

from one to the other. So when you stay 

at one Leading Hotel of the World in one 

city and you love it and have an amazing, 

unique experience that you think of us the 

next time when you’ve got that wanderlust 

and you’re going to your next destination. 

We have 142 hoteliers at our ILTM stand. 

We are the largest exhibitor at the show. 

A luxury travel show is our sweet spot and 

a great chance for us to have a show of 

strength and show who we are and how 

many options we have. 

Philip Ho: Each hotel is unique and has a 

different story. Therefore, for each hotelier, 

being here to tell his or story is very 

important. 

Everyone talks about travellers wanting 

“experiences”. How do you sell that? 

PH: It’s so intangible that our recommended 

approach is that you have to see the hotel; 

you have to experience the hotel. I met the 

owner of an agency yesterday, and his goal 

was to visit a hundred Leading Hotels before 

year-end. He feels that’s his best way of 

sharing with his clients the experiences that 

can be had a truly remarkably uncommon 

hotel like ours. He thus becomes an advocate. 

On the guests’ side, some have a goal in life 

of staying at every single Leading Hotel of the 

World. For many, the LHW Directory is their 

“book of dreams”. At last count, our top 

customer had about 250 different hotels in 

which he’d stayed across the network, but 

he’s still 150 short of his goal. When we talk 

about cultural immersion, the reason why our 

hotels do that much better is because 90% 

of our properties are owned by individuals or 

families who have a passion for the business, 

but also for the society and the culture in 

which they live. And they express this through 

their hotels 

90% OF OUR 

PROPERTIES ARE 

OWNED BY INDIVIDUALS 

OR FAMILIES WHO HAVE 

A PASSION FOR THE 

BUSINESS, BUT ALSO 

FOR THE SOCIETY AND 

THE CULTURE IN WHICH 

THEY LIVE… Philip Ho 

LHW welcome desk hostess 

at ILTM Cannes with 

Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport 

featuring Ted Teng – President 

& CEO, LHW

EVENTS 

EVERYBODY 

THAT IS 

IMPORTANT IN 

THE BUSINESS 

IS HERE 

© Mark Green 

IHIF 2016 

THE MEETING OF GLOBAL 

COLLABORATION 

IHIF Berlin 2017 celebrates 20 years as a leading light 

for investors 

In March 2017, the International Hotel 

Investment Forum (IHIF) will be celebrating 

its 20 th anniversary, and you are invited to 

join in the celebrations, during which the 

organisers will look back over how the 

industry has changed over the past 20 

years, and also look forward to what we 

can expect over the next 20 years. 

The three-day event, organised by Questex 

Media Group, and attended by over 2,000 

hospitality and tourism decision-makers 

from over 70 countries, is the place where 

deals are done and important industry 

decisions are made. 

The conference programme includes 

interviews with leading hoteliers, forecasts 

from top economists, panel discussions 

on the latest developments, trends and 

best practice in the hotel and investment 

industry, with an inspirational keynote 

speaker to conclude the three-day event 

from 6 to 8 March. Over 200 speakers take 

part in the conference, all leaders in their 

field making for an interesting and diverse 

programme. 

IHIF attracts a very senior gathering and 

among them nearly every major hotel chain 

CEO, influential global tourism ministers 

and the largest group of investors and hotel 

owners. 

“I love coming to IHIF every year, everybody 

that is important in the business is here 

and there is a great exchange of ideas and 

trends”, Christopher J. Nassetta, President & 

CEO, Hilton Worldwide exclaimed, adding, 

“It helps me have a better understanding of 

what is going on in the industry and what is 

ahead for the year to come.” 

The event focuses on delivering 

opportunities to anyone who currently 

operates within the hotel and tourism 

industry or who wants to do business in this 

sector, including: 

• Investors • Hotel Owners • Lenders • 

Hotel Chain CEOs and Executives • Financial 

Advisers • Real Estate Agents • Lawyers 

• Designers • Architects • Consultants 

• Timeshare Developers • Tourism and 

Government Officials 

Through three days of unrivalled networking 

opportunities, outstanding evening 

receptions, an exhibition and the very 

best educational programme, IHIF delivers 

important networking, information and 

contacts and our attendees and Sponsors, 

will agree that IHIF is a not to be missed 

event in their diaries. 

Cleverdis is proud to yet again be media 

partner of this exceptional event, and 

our senior staff members look forward to 

meeting you there




© Messe Berlin GmbH 

ITB Berlin 2016, 

South entrance 

CHANGES AFOOT @ ITB BERLIN 

New hall concepts adapt to changing markets 

Hall sections and space at the world’s largest 

travel and tourism trade event, ITB Berlin (8 

to 12 March 2017) will give a totally new 

face to this dynamic global event. 

The new hall concept makes it possible for 

the fast-growing markets of the Arab states 

to enlarge their displays. There is now a 

better concentration of markets, which 

makes it easier for trade visitors to plan their 

visit. The major tourism destinations in the 

Mediterranean, including France, Gibraltar, 

Greece, Portugal, Cyprus and Spain, as 

well as Serbia and Hungary, have relocated 

to the entrance areas in Halls 1.1 and 2.1, 

directly next the South Entrance. 

The pavilions of the USA und Russia are 

no longer to be found in Hall 2.1. Both 

countries are allocated in Hall 3.1 now. The 

United Arab Emirates have moved to a new 

central location in Hall 2.2. Egypt, Bahrain, 

Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and newcomer 

Saudi Arabia are in Hall 4.2 as of 2017. 

Central America and the Caribbean are now 

directly next-door in Hall 22, with South 

America in Hall 23. As well as destinations, 

LGBT Travel has also moved, from Hall 

3.1b to Hall 21. This segment represents 

one of the fastest-growing markets in the 

international travel industry and for the first 

time has its own presentation area. 

MEDICAL TOURISM 

– A NEW SEGMENT AT 

ITB BERLIN 

For the first time ITB Berlin 2017 will be fully 

devoting a platform to medical tourism, 

which has become an important fastgrowing 

market. Medical service providers, 

hotels and destinations will be exhibiting 

their products and services in the Medical 

Tourism Pavilion in Hall 3.2. Presentations 

and workshops will be held so that visitors 

can find out more about the latest trends 

and developments in this growth market. 

MORE SPACE FOR TRAVEL 

TECHNOLOGY 

Due to the high level of demand, for the 

first time, the eTravel World section at ITB 

Berlin 2017 will occupy two halls. In Hall 

6.1, lectures and discussions taking place on 

the eTravel Stage will provide visitors with 

useful information on innovative trends 

such as virtual reality, influencer marketing 

and chatbots. And for the first time, the 

hall features the eTravel Showroom, where 

new products will be presented. In addition 

to Hall 6.1, Hall 7.1c includes technology 

providers, whose focus is on payment 

solutions, hotel software and apps. In 

2017 the eTravel Lab with its wide range of 

workshops can also be found there. 

Cleverdis is the publisher of the official 

show magazine – ITB BERLIN NEWS. 

To learn more, please go to: 

www.itb-berlin-news.com

EVENTS 

This year, the European Hotel 

Managers’ Association annual 

general meeting heads to Holland, 

and the Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin in 

Noordwijk aan Zee. 

EHMA was established in Rome in 

1974 as a non-profit association of 

Hotel Managers operating first class 

and luxury hotels across Europe. 

EHMA is concerned with safeguarding 

the ethics of the hotel profession. 

Its members are committed to fostering 

fellowship and respect, as well as 

their own professional improvement 

to better serve the industry. 

Its mission is to become the number 

one platform for collective intelligence, 

education, networking and 

professional development among 

European hotel managers of 4- and 

5-star properties. 

Currently presided by the Swiss 

National Delegate, Hans E. Koch, the 

association is a veritable “who’s who” 

“DISRUPTORS 

OF LUXURY 

HOSPITALITY” 

44 th EHMA Annual General Meeting 

– Amsterdam, the Netherlands – 

17-19 March 2017 

of the business. 

The EHMA AGM is always a notto-be 

missed event for the very 

“elite” managers of Europe’s top 

hotels. The AGM is accompanied 

by information sessions, seminars 

enabling benchmarking in hotel 

service excellence, and local tours, 

which are exceptional platforms for 

networking, through which new 

partnerships and ideas often arise. 

While close to 5,000 4- and 5-star 

hotels operate in 80 major destinations 

of the European market (the majority 

located in Italy, Spain, the United 

Kingdom and France), EHMA currently 

has 435 members in 27 European 

countries, corresponding to around 

10% of the market. 

If the delegates of the EHMA 2017 

congress will enjoy an exciting 

agenda, this is thanks to the all the 

ideas and hard work put in by the 

organising committee, consisting of a 

group of players from 4 hotels (Grand 

Hotel Huis ter Duin, Mövenpick Hotel 

Amsterdam City Centre, Landgoed 

Duin & Kruidberg, Grand Hotel 

Amrâth Kurhaus The Hague) who 

form a fantastic team. 

This again proves the strength of 

EHMA in capitalising on men and 

women of exception - combining 

forces. They work together to provide 

a service to all delegates in the spirit 

of EHMA’s values: safeguarding 

the ethics of the hotel profession, 

fostering fellowship and respect - to 

better serve the industry. 

For some years now, Cleverdis has 

been a key media partner of EHMA, 

as we share the same values when it 

comes to the fostering of intelligence, 

and growth through thought 

leadership and mutual assistance 

Grand Hotel 

Huis ter Duin 

© © Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin




ATM 2016 

2016 ATM PARTY 

TECHNOLOGY UNDER 

SPOTLIGHT AT ATM 

The Arabian Travel Market 2017 edition will showcase key trends 

shaping the industry 

In their Tourism and Technology 

Trends report, produced ahead of 

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Colliers 

International name five trends driving 

the travel industry: biometric-enabled 

baggage solutions; cloud passports; 

personalised travel; spontaneous travel 

apps; and virtual reality travel. 

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading 

international travel and tourism trade event 

in the Middle East. ATM 2016 attracted 

almost 40,000 industry professionals, 

agreeing deals worth US$2.5bn over the 

four days. The 24th edition of ATM will 

showcase over 2,500 exhibiting companies 

across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade 

Centre, making it the largest ATM in its 

24-year history. 

Speaking of the Colliers International report, 

Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, 

Arabian Travel Market, said: “Biometric 

technology will play a significant role in the 

evolution of baggage tracking systems and 

immigration clearance, with some forwardthinking 

names already introducing such 

technology to the industry, such as Dutch 

airline KLM and Dubai International 

Airport. In addition, we can expect travel 

related services to be further developed 

to enhance personalisation through guest 

data. Dubai is already at the forefront of 

travel technology and the discussion now is 

how far we can take that without travellers 

finding it intrusive.” 

On the other side of the industry, Colliers 

has identified four defining evolutions 

of hospitality technology. The first is the 

utilisation of beacons to pilot Bluetooth 

across public spaces, allowing for on 

demand flash marketing within the property 

or guest identification. The second, ease 

of alternative accommodations, focusses 

on channels such as Airbnb.com, and the 

increasing appetite for experiential travel 

without the need for hotels. In addition, 

virtual payment systems and integrated 

smart phone apps are also tipped to be 

highly influential. 

The ATM Travel Tech theatre will also return 

in 2017 with a focus on experiential travel 

and sessions scheduled to feature Twitter’s 

Ahmad Absi, who also spoke in 2016 on 

the topic of travel audiences on Twitter. 

He will be joined by Paul Richer, senior 

partner at Genesys, who will host a 

two-hour summit exploring what digital 

transformation is and how travel businesses 

can execute it. 

Another key theme at ATM 2017 will be 

the application of artificial intelligence (AI) 

in travel and how such technology could 

help make travel and tourism safer in 

future, with insight into global consumer 

reactions to the role of robots and AI in 

travel. ATM 2017 is on course to welcome 

more than 70 tech travel exhibitors, 

including first time exhibitors Let’s Travel 

Services Ltd and Italcamel.

© Jean Tsimangas 

European Group 

Travel Awards 2016 

EVENTS CALENDAR 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

24-26 JANUARY 2017 

HTNG (Hotel Technology Next 

Generation) Middle East Conference 

Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, UAE 

www.htng.org/page/MEC 

26-29 JANUARY 2017 

EMITT (East Mediterranean 

International Travel & Tourism) 

Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress 

Center, Büyükçekmece, İstanbul, Turkey 

www.emittistanbul.com 

7-8 FEBRUARY 2017 

Tourism, Hotel Investment & 

Networking Conference (THINC) 

Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka 

www.thincsrilanka.com 

22-23 FEBRUARY 2017 

Travel Technology Europe 2017 

Olympia, London, UK 

www.traveltechnologyeurope.com 

2-3 MARCH 2017 

Luxury Travel Mart 

The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow, Russia 

www.luxurytravelmart.ru 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

6-8 MARCH 2017 

20 th International Hotel Investment 

Forum (IHIF) 2017 

InterContinental Hotel, Berlin, Germany 

www.berlinconference.com 

8-12 MARCH 2017 

ITB Berlin 

Messedamm 22, Berlin, Germany 

www.itb-berlin.de/en 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

9 MARCH 2017 

European Group Travel 

Awards 2017 (EGTA) 

Intercontinental Hotel Berlin Ballroom, 

Berlin, Germany 

europeangrouptravelawards.com 

16-19 MARCH 2017 

Salon Mondial du Tourisme 

Parc des Expositions, 

Porte de Versailles, 

Paris, France 

www.salons-du-tourisme.com/Paris 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

17-19 MARCH 2017 

44th EHMA (European Hotels 

Managers Association) Annual 

General Meeting 

Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin, Noordwijk, 

The Netherlands 

www.ehma.com/general-meetings 

27-28 MARCH 2017 

HTNG (Hotel Technology Next 

Generation) Insight Summit Europe 

RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

www.htng.org/page/2017_EUInsight 

28-30 MARCH 2017 

HITEC Amsterdam 2017 

(Hospitality Financial 

& Technology Professionals) 

RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

www.hftp.org/hitec/amsterdam/ 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

5-7 APRIL 2017 

International Hotel Technology 

Forum (IHTF) 

Disneyland Paris, Marne-la-Vallée, 

Paris, France 

www.arena-international.com/ihtf/ 

CLEVERDIS 

PARTNER 

10-13 AVRIL 2017 

HT-NEXT - Hotel Technology 

Forum + HTNG North American 

Conference 

Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, 

Florida, USA 

www.ht-next.com 

24-27 AVRIL 2017 

Arabian Travel Market 

Dubai International Exhibition and 

Convention Centre, Dubai, UAE 

www.arabiantravelmarket.com 

A CLEVERDIS Publication, 65 avenue Jules Cantini, Tour Méditerranée, 

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Publisher: Gérard Lefebvre - Publishing Director: Jean-Guy Bienfait 

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“SEE IT WHILE YOU 

STILL CAN”: VIRTUOSO 

LUXE REPORT 

Yet again this year, 

Virtuoso has projected 

key travel trends for the 

“elite”. According to 

the 2017 Virtuoso Luxe 

Report, luxury travellers 

this year are more than 

ever seeking adventures 

in less explored areas and 

craving customised local 

experiences wherever they 

roam. 

Cuba tops the list as both 

an emerging destination 

and one in danger of losing 

its distinctive character. 

The Arctic is another mustsee, 

with melting glaciers 

impacting the region’s 

unique wildlife. Australia’s 

Great Barrier Reef, losing 

its coral due to global 

warming, and Venice, with 

its deteriorating lagoon, 

also made the list. 

For the affluent, 

international trips of two 

weeks or longer topped the 

list of trips seeing increased 

demand. Multigenerational 

travel also remains a 

defining trend, with Japan 

making its way onto the 

emerging destination list 

for the first time due to 

its rising interest as a less 

traditional location for 

family travel. 

Travellers today crave 

active experiences that 

are customised to their 

interests and abilities, and 

are venturing all over the 

globe to find them. South 

Africa retains its spot as the 

world’s top adventure travel 

destination, followed by the 

Galapagos Islands, Costa 

Rica and New Zealand. 

Peru and Iceland (new to 

the top 5 this year) tied 

for fifth place, and Iceland 

in particular is seeing 

remarkable growth as an 

adventure destination. 

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern 

Lights, shines above Bear Lake, Alaska


In The Field 

with evelyne gaudin 

THE “INSIDE LINE” ON WHAT’S HOT IN THE FIELD OF TRAVEL ADVICE 

PART 1 

TIPS IN DEALING WITH THE 

INCREASINGLY LUCRATIVE 

DESTINATION WEDDING 

MARKETS 

THE ROMANCE 

MARKET 

GETTING IT RIGHT FOR 

THE “ONCE IN A LIFETIME” 

EVENT 

Since 1989, Evelyne Gaudin has 

been impassioned with the travel 

industry – working in every aspect 

of the industry – in airlines, hotels, 

F&B, TO and advisory roles, with a 

passion to “always deliver the best 

experience”. In this feature, she 

unveils the secrets to successful 

planning in the Romance Market. 

Having dealt with the romance market 

for the past 25 years, I have found it 

to be highly resilient against economic 

downturns and political turmoil. 

Historically speaking, whether the 

economy is good or bad, or there is 

social unrest, the only market that 

is able to survive is the romance 

market. Within this sector, we have 

“destination weddings”: a fairly 

new market that didn’t exist 

25 years ago. Most of the 

growth in this category 

has taken place in the 

past five to ten 

years. But the 

Honeymoon 

market and the 

wedding anniversary 

market have always 

existed. 

WHEN 

YOU GET THE 

WEDDING AND 

HONEYMOON RIGHT, YOU 

CAN BE SURE THE COUPLE 

WILL COME BACK TO 

YOU TO PLAN THEIR 

ANNIVERSARY 

TRAVEL 

Every single hotel I deal with 

around the world has made an effort 

to develop destination weddings, 

underlining the importance of this 

market as a valuable extension of the 

group travel sector. 

HOTELS SPOTLIGHT 

WEDDING SERVICES 

All hotels in major wedding and 

honeymoon resort destinations should 

offer on their websites a special note 

about weddings. We are seeing this 

more and more, - proving that this 

market is here to stay. It’s a fashion, 

which, while it started in the US market, 

is extending to other markets around 

the world such as Europe and Asia. 

There are many reasons for this. Rather 

than doing a wedding for several 

hundred people in the city where they 

live, people prefer to go to an exotic, 

romantic destination, and invite fifty 

or a hundred people. 

DIRECT MANAGEMENT 

BY TRAVEL AGENT 

Tour operators will generally 

not be involved, because 

the specialized 

travel advisor will 

personally take 

charge of all the 

elements, even to the 

point of working with 

the florist, the celebrant, the 

photographer and the video 

cameraman; all the important 

elements of a destination wedding. 

All in all, it can be very stressful for 

the travel advisor, but also rewarding, 

because it’s a once in a lifetime event. 

There are so many details involved – 

and I find it’s a great challenge, because 

you have to plan the perfection of 

the couple’s dream. When you get 

the wedding and honeymoon right, 

you can be sure the couple will come 

back to you to plan their anniversary 

travel! My motto is “making a dream 

a reality”. 

SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION





© Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority 

GETTING 

THE BIG DAY 

JUST RIGHT 

The “romance” travel market 

outpaces other group bookings 

CREATIVITY 

IS A MUST, BUT 

SO IS MASTERY 

OF LOGISTICS IN 

EVERY DETAIL. 

The global wedding industry is estimated 

to be worth over 300 billion dollars and 

growing bigger every day. Tim Hentschel, 

CEO at HotelPlanner.com and Meetings. 

com tells us that 20% of his organisation’s 

bookings are weddings, and 25% of those 

are now destination bookings. 

In terms of destinations, tropical paradises 

such as Thailand, Bali, Mexico, Jamaica, the 

Bahamas and Costa Rica still top the list 

of hot spots to tie the knot, with Iceland, 

Canada and Italy emerging as popular 

locales for couples looking to go off the 

beaten path. Meanwhile, France – and in 

particular the French Riviera – are staple 

classics, for good reason. 

Wedding tourism is especially popular 

among young people who are all seeking 

to make this celebration the most vivid, 

massive and unique of its kind. In the 

past, couples would get married at home, 

then go on a honeymoon, but today, the 

role of the travel consultant is increasingly 

important in organising group travel to 

exceptional destinations for the wedding 

itself, followed by a magical honeymoon for 

the newlyweds. 

WHEN IT COMES TO CLASS, 

FRENCH RIVIERA TOPS LIST 

Marie-Christine 

Lescure 

Director, Prodiam 

The French Riviera is probably the most 

prestigious destination in the world for 

weddings, offering an incredible diversity of 

settings. So, what is the secret of a perfect 

destination wedding? Marie-Christine 

Lescure, director of Prodiam – an event and 

wedding organiser based near Nice – says 

location is evidently a key factor: “From 

cocktails on the beach, the ceremony in 

beautiful hotel gardens overlooking the sea, 

or a refined dinner in a château in Provence, 

I honestly believe this region is the best in 

the world for very high-end destination 

weddings. But excellence in every detail is 

absolutely vital in order to have a beautiful, 

breath-taking result.” 

Ms Lescure says source markets are very 

diverse. “Of course, there are some French, 

but we receive many clients from countries 

such as Russia, America, China, India and 

even Australia. The key differentiator when 

it comes to offering premium service is 

really knowing how to listen to the clients, 

to not only understand what they want, 

but also to surprise and delight them with 

concepts and ideas that they may not have 

even considered, based on the synergy 

we develop with them. Creativity is a 

must, but so is mastery of logistics in every 

detail. Artistic content, integrating classical 

orchestras and dancers, is at the heart of 

this kind of offering”


Lia Batkin 

Seth Kaplan 

In the Know Experiences 

BORDEAUX HAS 

BECOME EXTREMELY 

POPULAR, AS FOOD AND 

WINE AND HEALTH AND 

WELLNESS ARE GROWING 

AS KEY FOCUSES 

ALWAYS IN THE KNOW 

Europe seen through the eyes of a top-line US agency 

Launched in 2007, In the Know Experiences was created by Lia Batkin and Seth Kaplan, after noticing tremendous 

potential for a travel and lifestyle company that catered to a younger and more savvy demographic. Specialising in 

luxury travel and lifestyle experiences, the company now caters to celebrities, executives, athletes and people all over 

the world. We met with the couple after ILTM Cannes and asked what they brought home from the show… 

Lia Batkin: More than ever there were 

interesting new products coming out that 

I haven’t seen before. Companies are 

putting more thought into what’s going 

to differentiate them in the luxury market, 

coming up with unique ideas that set them 

apart. 

Seth Kaplan: Luxury is definitely booming. 

Major hotel brands are launching more 

hotels, and there are more and more small 

brands popping up. 

It seems people are not “steering away” 

too much from Europe despite the 

events of the past year or so. Why do 

you think this resilience is continuing? 

LB: Fortunately and unfortunately we’re 

starting become immune to all this. People 

are starting to realise that they need to get 

on with their lives, while still being smart 

and heeding travel warnings. 

What are the “sweet spots” in Europe 

at the moment for American travellers? 

SK: Eastern Europe is becoming popular 

again and we’re getting a lot of interest 

for Slovenia. Different parts of Italy, such as 

Puglia are becoming more popular. People 

are looking for destinations away from 

the major cities. Bordeaux has become 

extremely popular, as food and wine and 

health and wellness are growing as key 

focuses. 

LB: Interestingly, the hotel is often now 

more of a focus than the destination itself. 

People are seeking out more modern hotels 

appealing to a younger demographic. I am 

also seeing many more people travelling 

to Europe in the winter than they ever did 

before. 

What kinds of tourism are growing the 

fastest for you in Europe? 

LB: Health and wellness has always been 

big, but it’s definitely getting bigger. People 

are looking at Medi-spas as places to go 

on vacation rather than just somewhere 

to go to lose some weight. There are 

some incredible properties focussing on 

health and wellness, but also making it an 

“experience”




ILTM Entrance 

ILTM CANNES 2016 

La crème de la crème of the travel industry gather in the city of stars for 

the not-to-be-missed annual event 

Exploring the role of travel 

in the modern luxury 

landscape, the fifteenth 

edition of ILTM (International 

Luxury Travel Market) in Cannes 

was the platform for 5,000 

luxury travel influencers to come 

together to highlight “love as 

the greatest luxury of the world 

and travel as the mechanism of 

that love.” 

Opening the event on Monday 

5 th December, the ILTM Global 

Forum profiled author and 

psychologist Andrew Solomon 

who highlighted the guiding 

principles and motivations that 

lead people to travel, citing the 

fact that travel is not only a 

language but also a liberation. 

ILTM Exhibition Director Alison 

Gilmore addressed the attendees 

“tongue in cheek”, saying 2016 

could “possibly be a year to 

forget”. She asked a leading 

question: “Why do we all come 

back?” – Answering in the same 

breath: “Because we all love 

this industry. Many have tried to 

leave, but it’s in our blood!” 

Gilmore went on to underline 

the fact that “Luxury is no 

longer about money… It’s about 

anticipating wants and needs of 

clients.” 

Indeed, as the new generations 

arrive into adulthood and bring 

with them new technology, 

the luxury travel industry 

finds itself facing a strange 

new world. Travellers have 

become adventurers. Smarter, 

more demanding and more 

empowered – brand loyalty has 

been thrown unceremoniously 

from the window of a 

refurbished 1950s Pullman, and 

in its place, the rise of the antibrand 

mentality, characterised 

by an endless desire to find 

new ways to travel and more 

meaningful relationships with 

hosts. 

Where loyalty points and 

programmes once ruled 

the roost, modern affluent 

consumers are less concerned 

with rewards, and increasingly 

focused on independence. 

Personal growth, a cerebral 

work out and lasting social 

impact rank high on the modern 

affluent traveller’s agenda, and 

luxury operators are racing to 

create exceptional experiences 

that speak to personal passions, 

help customers explore the 

things they love more deeply, 

and provide real-world 

experience of the global issues 

we care about.


ILTM NEWS 

BRIEFS 

ACCORHOTELS LUXURY 

BRANDS SET TO TAKE ON NEW 

MOMENTUM IN 2017 

FOUR SEASONS 

RESORT 

LANGKAWI TO 

RECEIVE BOLD 

NEW LOOK 

A daring transformation of the UNESCO 

hideaway of Four Seasons Resort Langkawi 

is underway by renowned designer, Bill 

Bensley. Where previously the resort 

blended into its mile-long beach and 

surrounding rainforests, the new design 

places it centre stage – at a new level 

of contemporary luxury and indulgence. 

Completion is due by late summer 2017. 

JUMEIRAH 

VITTAVELI 

MALDIVES 

LAUNCHES 

ROYAL 

RESIDENCE 

Jumeirah Vittaveli’s latest launch, the 

Royal Residence, is scheduled to open in 

March 2017. This stunning five-bedroom 

residence has a totally private beach, two 

pools, its own jetty, chef, butler and your 

very own golf buggy chauffeur. Rates start 

at $14,000 per night. 

After months of meetings and planning 

following the mid-year take over of FRHI 

by AccorHotels, the group is now in a 

prime position to gain market share in 

2017. 

Mike Taylor, Director, Global 

Communications & PR – Luxury Brands, 

coming over from FRHI group, says the 

merger adds value on both sides: “The 

deal made strategic sense on a number 

of levels. AccorHotels already had over 

4,000 properties – and a good portion 

of that is in the mid-scale and economy. 

We have significantly increased the 

group’s presence in the luxury segment 

– adding three new brands into the mix. 

We also brought a much bigger footprint 

in North America. If you look globally 

at AccorHotels, they were the leader in 

Europe, leader in the Middle East, but in 

HILTON 

GROUP 

LUXURY 

ROADMAP 

H. Stuart Foster 

Vice President, Global 

Marketing, Hilton Worldwide 

North America, they just didn’t have a lot 

of products. Fairmont in particular has a 

very big presence in North America, so 

we’ve given the Group significantly more 

distribution in one of the key markets 

globally. The deal was very complementary 

in the sense that FRHI had a lot of things 

that AccorHotels needed, and there’s the 

talent and culture mix as well. FRHI is 

bringing in a lot of leaders with extensive 

experience in managing luxury hotels 

Mike Taylor 

Director, Global 

Communications 

& PR – Luxury brands, 

AccorHotels 

H. Stuart Foster, Vice President, Global 

Marketing, Hilton Worldwide, spoke to us at 

ILTM about the evolution of Conrad and Waldorf 

brands. He underlined the group’s initiative to 

develop new and interesting “experiences” for 

the ultra high-end traveller. 

“An example of this is the partnership 

with Lamborghini, wherein at 17 properties 

around the world, we offer drives for our 

guests,” explains Foster. “In a two-hour outing, 

you drive a Lamborghini, led by a professional 

Lamborghini driver who drives in front of 

you, and you get to actually experience 

the destination from behind the wheel of a 

Lamborghini.” 

Around 20% of bookings in the elite category 

still come through agents, says Foster, adding 

that he feels their role has changed: “They’re not 

travel agents, they are risk managers. Therefore 

they are even more important, because there’s 

so much information out there. How do I sort 

through where I want to stay, where I want to 

eat, which destination I should go to? They’re 

consultants more than they are bookers”




ILTM NEWS 

BRIEFS 

Arnaud 

Wielgus 

Sales Director 

Operations & E-Business, 

Relais & Châteaux 

RELAIS & CHÂTEAUX 

LAUNCHES DEDICATED 

WEB PLATFORM FOR 

TRAVEL PROS 

Relais & Châteaux has launched 

a dedicated website for travel 

professionals. The new site was 

officially launched at ILTM Cannes, 

and has met with excellent 

feedback from the trade. 

Arnaud Wielgus – Sales Director 

Operations & E-Business at Relais 

& Châteaux explains, “The agency 

is able to create an account, and 

to see all the different levels of 

commission they can obtain – by 

tariff and room type. Agents are 

able to create a quotation directly 

on the site, with their contact 

details on the form, and send 

this highly detailed document 

directly to their clients. There are 

descriptions of activities, services, 

access routes, and so on. These 

quotes can also be multi-property, 

including a full itinerary, including 

photos of the properties. 

Afterwards, the staff of the agency 

will be able to access all the 

quotations online with a dedicated 

search engine, by client name 

or quotation number. They can 

then validate the quotation once 

the client accepts it. We believe 

this will greatly assist the travel 

trade – especially travel agents – 

to optimise their conversion rates 

when they send proposals to their 

clients, thanks to the quality and 

detail of the quotations” 

TEMPTINGPLACES 

LAUNCHES OFFICIAL GUIDE 

In exclusivity at ILTM Cannes, TemptingPlaces introduced 

the first guide featuring their entire collection. Readers can 

enter the intimate world of more than 140 outstanding 

boutique hotels across 34 countries. The 145 pages, listed 

by regions of the world, are a gateway to a dream world 

of stunning properties, portraits of visionary owners, hotel 

descriptions and exclusive TemptingPlaces privileges that 

can be enjoyed by members of the group’s Travellers’ Club. 

AN EXCEPTIONAL RETREAT 

Gabriela Markova, Executive Director of Sales & Marketing 

– Velaa Private Island, was at ILTM promoting the property 

to high-end agents. Located in the Noonu Atoll, 187 km 

North of Male, Velaa Private Island, was designed by Czech 

architect Petr Kolar. The smallest villa is 280 square metres, 

and each has outdoor/indoor bathroom, at least one butler 

and is equipped with a full-sized pool.


Laurent Campi 

General Manager, 

Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa, 

NEW MAN AT THE HELM 

OF THE TAHA’A 

Prestigious Polynesian resort stands out as a “rare pearl” 

Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa in French Polynesia has announced the arrival of a new General Manager: Laurent Campi – 

replacing Julien Bressolles. He graduated from the prestigious Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne before arriving in the region 

and has been part of the Polynesian hotel scene for many years. We asked Laurent how he is approaching the challenge 

of managing this mythical property… 

I am taking over the management of a 

resort that is in a positive dynamic, and 

has undergone a continued growth and 

optimal improvement. Therefore, I think 

my biggest challenge will be to perpetuate 

its development while bringing my added 

value to the property. The aim now is to 

present Le Taha’a, to the mind of all as the 

authentic exclusive luxury alternative to 

the island of Bora Bora for a memorable 

escape. 

How could one best describe your 

property? 

Unique Relais & Chateaux in French 

Polynesia, Le Taha’a is an authentic 

Polynesian 5-star resort built by Polynesian 

owners with a local architect and serviced 

by staff who are native from Taha’a. 

The resort proposes a luxury stay while 

immersed in the amazing nature of the 

islands. While this is the perfect place to 

rest, there are many activities to keep guests 

occupied. At Le Taha’a, we emphasise the 

cuisine, and with 3 restaurants onsite and 

one chef per restaurant, we create a true 

creative culinary experience for our guests. 

THE AIM NOW IS TO 

PRESENT LE TAHA’A, TO 

THE MIND OF ALL AS THE 

AUTHENTIC EXCLUSIVE 

LUXURY ALTERNATIVE 

TO THE ISLAND OF 

BORA BORA FOR A 

MEMORABLE ESCAPE 

The location of the resort is a unique 

selling point in itself. Le Taha’a has been 

constructed on an islet located in the 

middle of a lagoon that shares the island of 

Taha’a and the island of Raiatea. No other 

resort is located in this part of the lagoon 

creating a real sense of secludedness, 

exclusivity and privacy found nowhere 

else. 

The architecture of the resort is another 

plus. 80% of the materials used to 

construct the resort are natural elements, 

all sourced in French Polynesia and based 

on the Polynesian culture. The resort also 

features a Polynesian canoe built back at 

the beginning of the 1800’s in the most 

traditional way. 

Finally, Taha’a is the only island presenting 

the 2 most important traditional industries 

in Polynesia: The vanilla plantations and 

the black pearl famers. Culturally, these 

industries are very important to Polynesia, 

and for guests to be able to discover them 

in the same area is an added value to their 

stay 

SMARTreport Commercial Content




After having succeeded in making the Taha’a, in just a few years, a symbol of 

Polynesian style luxury and turning the concept of “Where Luxury meets Human 

Warmth” into reality, since January Julien Bressolles has taken the helm of 

operations of the Pearl Resorts of Tahiti group, which includes Le Taha’a Island Resort & 

Spa, Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, Tahiti Pearl Beach Resort, Nuku Hiva Keikahanui 

Pearl Lodge, and Hiva Oa Hanakee Pearl Lodge. We asked him what his ambitions are 

for the future of these properties. 

We work in a spirit of boutique hotels, of 

preservation of authenticity, and respect for 

Polynesian hospitality with mainly Polynesian 

staff - for an experience we want to be the 

closest possible to the “real Polynesia”. 

For the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, 

for which we took over the management from 

January 1 st , 2017, our main goal is to enhance 

the guests’ service and experience and to give 

this hotel its true Polynesian soul. Our priority 

is to introduce the great culinary experiences 

that our guests expect in this magical place. 

this hotel and I am particularly proud of, is 

the exceptional kindness and authenticity of 

the mainly Polynesian staff. The key point is 

of course the amazing coral garden which 

borders the hotel. We also invest a lot in this 

area to preserve its exceptional heritage. 

Concerning the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort 

& Spa, I would say that its location and its park 

are unique, its TÄVAI Spa, probably one of the 

most beautiful in Polynesia and I am currently 

working to make it one of the top gourmet 

places of the Islands of Tahiti 

A NEW CHALLENGE – 

AND AN EXCEPTIONAL PROJECT 

Julien Bressolles takes the helm of operations of the most 

Polynesian hotel group in the Islands of Tahiti 

Julien 

Bressolles 

General Manager, 

Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa, 

Pearl Resorts of Tahiti group 

For the Tahiti Pearl Beach, the only hotel on 

the East coast of Tahiti, the will is really to 

promote the assets of this property located on 

a fabulous site, in the famous Matavai Bay. 

Finally, the lodges of the Marquesas are small 

jewels nestled on a mountainside with views 

of the ocean. The Marquesas are a somewhat 

different destination compared to the Society 

Islands, and with a specific clientele: those 

seeking soft adventure, culture, history and an 

experience off-the-beaten-paths. Many artists 

and explorers have fallen in love with those 

powerful islands. And there truly is something 

mystical in the Marquesas Islands! 

Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa 

What would you say are the three main 

“USPs” of the Taha’a and the Bora Bora 

Pearl Beach Resort & Spa? 

For the Taha’a, we respect the DNA of 

Relais & Châteaux with exceptional F&B 

and exemplary service while retaining a very 

friendly atmosphere. The special feature of 





THE PURSUIT OF A DREAM 

When a mirage becomes reality, it is the Selman Marrakech… 

At the foot of the Atlas Mountains, away from the hustle of the medina, what seemed like 

only a mirage has become a reality: Selman Marrakech, a palace of distinct, sublime and 

alluring charm. 

MOMENTS 

OF PURE GRACE 

ADD TO THE 

PERFECTION OF 

THIS TIMELESS 

EXPERIENCE 

Selman Marrakech 

Km5, Route d’Amizmiz 

Marrakech 40160 

www.selman-marrakech.com 

Passing through the immense portico, the 

gaze is drawn over the whole property by the 

geometry of the facades and gardens dotted 

with fountains, creating a sublime harmony. 

Across the Mechouar, the traveller gets a 

glimpse of the interior, a sensual contrast to the 

grandeur of the exterior. 

Designed by Jacques Garcia and built by the 

best artisans, Selman Marrakech seduces with 

its timeless harmony. At this intimate, personal 

and family owned property, each guest shares 

in the joy, love and dreams of their warm and 

passionate hosts. In this timeless palace whose 

construction was the vision of the owner, the 

art of traditional Moroccan hospitality has been 

revived. 

Precious moments are embodied in the presence 

of the beautiful thoroughbred Arabian horses, 

symbols of a bygone grandeur, which capture 

the spirit of Selman Marrakech and invite the joy 

of living. 

There are views of the horses from the terraces 

and the gardens where one can admire the 

majesty and poise of these creatures. Moments 

of pure grace add to the perfection of this 

timeless encounter. An essential and unedited 

experience, a return to the source of forgotten 

luxury, now found again under the light of the 

Selman Marrakech’s stars. 

The establishment’s owners, the Bennani Smires 

family, welcome friends and travellers as if into 

their own home. 

“I wanted to create a unique hotel project that 

offered the traveller a strong portrayal of our 

culture. The horse, profoundly linked to our 

history, seemed to me to perfectly encapsulate 

the spirit. I’ve had a chance to visit the most 

beautiful stables in the world, and each time 

it was an incredible experience. I wanted to be 

able to offer people the chance to gain access 

to and share in this otherwise closed equestrian 

world, to which access is normally only afforded 

by the invitation of horse owners. I want the 

guest to be able to enjoy the experience in all its 

glory. Through doing so, the guest experiences 

a sense of sharing which is a principle so dear to 

the Moroccan people,” says Abdeslam Bennani 

Smires. 



I BEGAN TO REALISE 

THAT MY COLLECTIONS 

MUST NO LONGER SPEAK 

ONLY TO ME, THEY MUST 

ALSO SPEAK TO ALL 

MANKIND AS A SYMBOL 

OF MY COUNTRY’S RICH 

HISTORY AND CULTURAL 

HERITAGE 

BALINESE CULTURE – 

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL 

One man’s passion and dreams become our reality, 

in a paradise setting 

The Tugu Hotel and Villas in Bali’s coastal 

town of Canggu is one of Indonesia’s most 

extraordinary properties - in the most “up 

and coming” district of the Island of the 

Gods. 

Tugu Hotels are small privately owned and 

designed collection of luxury art hotels 

born out of one man’s love and passion 

for Indonesia’s romantic history. Anhar 

Setjadibrata, a one-time medical studentturned-lawyer, 

is now the owner of the 

biggest collection of fine art and cultural 

antiquities in Indonesia. 

The “Tugu mission” is to bring back to life 

the art, soul and romance of Indonesia’s 

yesteryears. 

“I never thought of collecting for profit,” 

remarks Setjadibrata. “I was only thinking 

of a way to save these treasures because 

they are related to Indonesia’s history, a 

part of history that I can touch and feel. I 

began to realise that my collections must 

no longer speak only to me, they must 

also speak to all mankind as a symbol 

of my country’s rich history and cultural 

heritage.” 

The Wantilan Agung (Grand Ceremonial 

House), where traditional Balinese dances 

are performed for guests, houses an art 

gallery featuring Setjadibrata’s exclusive 

collection of historic Indonesian artwork, 

antiquities and cultural artefacts. Its dance 

stage is crowned by a massive wooden 

“Garuda” – reported to be the biggest of 

its kind in Bali. 

The resort’s 21 villas and suites are set 

amidst tropical gardens within steps 

of the beach, housed in traditional 

thatched-roof buildings. The Puri Le 

Mayeur is a honeymoon suite dedicated 

to the passionate love story between 

Belgian painter Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de 

Merprès and the model of his paintings, 

the famous, beautiful Legong dancer Ni 

Polok. 

The local cuisine is part and parcel of the 

“authentic” experience. One may choose 

from a number of dining venues, or 

dine in the garden, at the beach, or the 

private dining pavilion for two above the 

lotus pond … only surrounded by nature, 

torch lights and candle lights. It also goes 

without saying that the spa facilities, pool 

and garden are in keeping with the overall 

standing of this exceptional place. 

The Tugu Bali is highly recommended 

for romantic couples looking for a truly 

authentic experience

EUROPE 




© hunszabi 

EUROPEAN TOURISM: 

RESILIENCE IN 

UNCERTAIN TIMES 

According to the World Tourism 

Organisation, International arrivals into 

Europe grew by 2% between January 

and September 2016, with solid growth 

in most destinations. Nonetheless, 

double-digit increases in major 

destinations such as Spain, Hungary, 

Portugal and Ireland were offset by 

feeble results in France, Belgium and 

Turkey. As a consequence, Northern 

Europe grew by 6% and Central and 

Eastern Europe by 5% while results 

were weaker in Western Europe (-1%) 

and Southern Mediterranean Europe 

(+0%). 

Explaining the figures, UNWTO 

Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai stated, 

“Tourism is one of the most resilient 

and fastest-growing economic sectors 

but it is also very sensitive to risks, both 

actual and perceived. As such, the 

sector must continue to work together 

with governments and stakeholders to 

minimise risks, respond effectively and 

build confidence among travellers.” 

The following pages track some of the 

key trends and innovations that will 

drive the market in the coming months 

and years. 

Budapest, Hungary

EUROPE / AIR TRANSPORT 

IATA PREDICTS REBOUND 

FOR AIR TRANSPORT 

IN EUROPE IN 2017 

Air transport will grow in Europe in 2017 

according to IATA – however expected 

industry net post-tax profit for the region 

should reach US$5.6 billion, down from an 

estimated US$7.5 billion in 2016. 

The International Air Transport Association 

(IATA) continues to express confidence over 

the evolution of air transport in Europe. IATA 

economic experts see European economies 

recovering and growing in 2017. This would 

definitely have a favourable economic 

impact on air transport although the rise in 

oil prices will be passed on air tickets and 

could weaken air travel demand. 

Europe is the world’s second largest air 

transport market with a market share of 

26.7%, just behind of Asia/pacific with 

a share of 31.5% and ahead of North 

America with a market share of 24.7%. 

European carriers saw October demand 

climb 5.7% over October 2015 following 

a surge of 5.1% in September compared 

to the same month of 2015. Capacity in 

October increased 6.2% and load factor 

slipped 0.4 percentage points to 83.2%. 

International demand for European carriers 

appears to be returning to normal after the 

disruption caused by terrorism and political 

instability earlier this year; According to 

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI 

Europe, which represents most airports 

on the continent, “the negative impact of 

the terror attacks that took place earlier in 

the year and of the failed coup in Turkey 

were gradually receding in September and 

October with passenger’s traffic picking 

up due to a generally improved macroeconomic 

environment, especially in the 

EU.” 

IATA forecasts for 2017 revenue growth to 

accelerate from 3.8% in 2016 to 4.0% in 

2017, while the average load factor within 

the continent would show a modest slide 

of 0.2%. IATA forecasts a load factor of 

66.8% next year compared to 67% in 

2016. Breakeven load factors – which are 

highest in Europe compared to the rest of 

the world because of low yields due to a 

very competitive air transport market and 

high regulatory costs- are expected to be at 

63.7% compared to 63.2% this year. 

1,400 

1,200 

1,000 

800 

600 

450 

400 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

2015 

The difference between the break-even 

rate and the expected load factor will still 

translate into a net profit for the European 

air transport industry. IATA sees European 

airlines recording a net-post tax profit of 

US$5.6billion in 2017, down by 25.3% 

over an expected net profit of US$7.5 billion 

in year 2016. The net profit per passenger 

would consequently be down from US$7.84 

in 2016 to US$5.65 next year. 

Among the events influencing positively air 

transport in Europe in 2017 are the recovery 

of the Russian market as the economy 

stabilised since mid-2016; a continuous 

demand in air transport in Central Europe 

with double-digit growth at airports such 

as Warsaw, Prague or Budapest; and finally 

TOP TEN PASSENGER MARKETS 

Million O-D passenger journeys (to, from and within) 

2035 

China 

US 

India 

UK 

Indonesia 

Spain 

Japan 

Germany 

France 

Brazil 

Italy 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

2015 

Source: IATA 20-year Passenger Forecast, IATA and Tourism Economics 

2035 

Indonesia 

Spain 

Japan 

Germany 

France 

Brazil 

Italy 

the growth of the low cost airline segment 

in the long-haul market. Altogether, all 

these elements will help Europe to retain 

its position as the world’s second largest 

air market (26.7% market share in October 

2016) just behind Asia/Pacific and ahead of 

North America




Air France has begun implementing 

a new organisation, which the 

company says is clearer and better 

reflects its priorities. Its ambition is to clarify 

responsibilities and simplify the company’s 

operating methods. 

Franck Terner, CEO of Air France, says he wants 

to move fast to implement new strategy: 

“We must move quickly, in line with the staff 

representative bodies. This new organisation 

will be oriented towards the priorities that I 

have set together with Jean-Marc Janaillac 

in order to return to profitable growth: put 

the customer at the heart of our operations, 

improve our operational performance and 

On medium-haul routes, the move upmarket 

of the cabins is also continuing with 24 Airbus 

A320 modified by the end of October 2016. 

In November, Air France began modifications 

to its 11 Airbus A321. 

ARRIVAL OF NEW BOEING 787 

On 9th January 2017, Air France began 

operating the first commercial flight of a 

Boeing 787 between Paris-Charles de Gaulle 

and Cairo in Egypt. For Air France and its 

customers, the Boeing 787 will provide 

many important assets. The Business cabin 

has 30 seats, Premium Economy 21 seats 

and Economy 225 seats. Wi-Fi is standard 

on board, there’s more space and comfort 

Franck Terner 

CEO, Air France 

NEW ORGANISATION, NEW STRATEGY 

Air France reveals a new, clearer organisation, and pursues more 

upmarket approach 

ensure flight safety, improve our in-house 

working methods through digital technology 

and simplify our processes, promote staff 

commitment with a real HR ambition and 

improve our competitiveness.” 

As part of the reshuffle, on 1st January, Alain- 

Hervé Bernard was appointed Chief Operating 

Officer and Accountable Manager, replacing 

Eric Schramm. Alain Malka has been appointed 

EVP of HOP! Air France, replacing Lionel 

Guérin, and with the aim of recovering Air 

France’s point-to-point operations. Anne 

Rigail is the new EVP – Customer, regrouping 

the functions of customer and product 

prescription of the current Long and Mediumhaul 

Business Units. 

AIR FRANCE PURSUES ITS 

“MOVE UPMARKET” STRATEGY 

On Air France’s long-haul routes, 36 Boeing 

777 were equipped with new cabins and 

served 32 destinations this winter. In total, 

by August 2017, 44 Boeing 777 will be 

retrofitted. As of winter 2017, Air France 

will begin the move upmarket on its Airbus 

A330 for expected delivery in winter 2018. 

At the same time, the company is studying 

the refurbishment of its Airbus A380 with 

possible deployment starting in 2019. 

with the new Premium Economy seats, and 

windows are about 30% larger than on 

similar aircraft. 

AIR FRANCE’S NEW WEAPON 

IN THE LOW-COST MARKET – 

PROJECT “BOOST” 

Air France-KLM’s CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac 

has presented a project of creating a new 

subsidiary next to Transavia. “Project Boost” 

will help maintain and grow Air France’s 

presence on long-haul routes and operate 

profitably on some routes that are currently 

making losses. According to the group 

CEO, the future carrier – whose codename 

is “Boost”- is expected to start operations 

in mid-2017 with a mixed fleet of a dozen 

aircraft on a future medium and long haul 

network 

Business cabin 

Air France Boeing 787

EUROPE / AIR TRANSPORT 

IAG SET TO LAUNCH 

LOW-COST TRANS- 

ATLANTIC FLIGHTS 

FROM BARCELONA 

In a response to increasing 

budget competition 

on transatlantic routes, 

International Consolidated 

Airlines Group (IAG), the 

parent of British Airways, 

Iberia, Aer Lingus and 

Vueling, has confirmed that 

it is to launch new low-cost, 

long haul airline operations 

from Barcelona’s El Prat 

Airport in summer 2017. The 

start-up will offer routes into 

North and South America 

using an initial fleet of two 

Airbus A330 aircraft 

QANTAS LAUNCHES 

FIRST EVER NON- 

STOP PERTH TO 

LONDON ROUTE 

Qantas is set to operate non-stop flights from 

Perth to London using the 787-9 Dreamliner. 

The 14,498-kilometre service will take 17 hours 

non-stop, and will be the first regular passenger 

service to directly link Australia with Europe when 

it begins in March. The opportunities opened 

up by this first ever non-stop route to and from 

Australia are huge… Watch this space! 

BRUSSELS AIRLINES 

TO BE INTEGRATED 

INTO EUROWINGS 

GROUP 

As of 2018, Brussels Airlines 

will be fully integrated into the 

Lufthansa Group and become 

part of Eurowings. 

After the acquisition, Brussels 

Airlines will operate its 23 longhaul 

destinations as well as 79 

destinations in Europe under 

the umbrella of the Eurowings 

Group. The brand Brussels 

Airlines will over time be 

complemented by the claim 

“member of the Eurowings 

Group”. The common goal of 

Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines 

is to further strengthen 

the market position in the 

Belgian aviation market. 

Brussels Airlines’ current fleet 

harmonization towards an 

Airbus A320 family fleet for 

the European network will be 

continued 

ETIHAD AVIATION 

GROUP TO FORGE 

NEW LINKS WITH 

LUFTHANSA 

Etihad Airways and Lufthansa German Airlines 

have announced the conclusion of a code-share 

agreement, which was set to start in January 2017, 

subject to government approval. 

The wet-lease agreement between Lufthansa Group 

and airberlin – in which Etihad Aviation Group indirectly 

holds a 29% stake – has also been announced. 

Lufthansa’s point-to-point carrier Eurowings and 

Austrian Airlines, a Lufthansa Group airline, have signed 

an agreement to wet lease 38 aircraft from airberlin. 33 

of these aircraft are to be operated for the Eurowings 

Group, an additional five aircraft are to be flown for 

Austrian Airlines. The agreement has a term of six years 

and becomes effective from February 2017 subject 

to any regulatory requirements. The leases have been 

agreed at competitive rates

EUROPE INBOUND 

TRENDS FIGURES 




WIND OF CHANGE 

European destinations experience a rocky ride in 2016 

European destinations felt a wind of change 

during 2016 with fluctuating fortunes. 

In the Mediterranean, countries such as 

Spain and Portugal welcomed many more 

tourists from abroad while Britain enjoyed 

an increase of over 8% in international 

visitor numbers largely due to the weaker 

pound. But heavyweights such as Italy, 

Greece and Germany generated only low 

growth of 1-3%, according to World Travel 

Monitor figures. The big losers this year 

after suffering terror attacks were Turkey, 

France and Belgium. 

These trends are also reflected in figures 

from the World Tourism Organization 

(UNWTO), which show that growth in 

European tourism slowed last year following 

the various challenges that the continent’s 

tourism has recently faced. International 

arrivals grew by 1.6% between January 

and September 2016, according to the 

UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. This was 

significantly lower than the good growth of 

4.6% seen in 2015 as a whole. 

There was a diverse picture over the 

first nine months of 2016 in terms of 

sub-regions and individual destinations. 

Northern Europe (+6.4%) and Central and 

Eastern Europe (+5.3%) performed well, 

with double-digit increases in countries 

such as Hungary and Ireland, according to 

UNWTO figures. In contrast, results were 

weaker in Western Europe (-1.3%) and 

Southern Mediterranean Europe (+0.4%). 

Strong increases for major destinations such 

as Spain and Portugal were offset by weak 

results in France, Belgium and Turkey. 

SHARING 

ACCOMMODATION 

STILL ONLY A SMALL 

SHARE OF MARKET 

So-called “sharing” accommodation 

providers may be growing fast but they still 

have a relatively low share of the overall 

hospitality market in Europe. Their main 

impact is in cities where they generate 

significant numbers of visitors but also 

reduce residential accommodation, 

according to experts. 

At the 24 th World Travel Monitor Forum, 

attendees learned of trends concerning 

the so-called “sharing” economy, which 

has boomed in recent years with the rise of 

firms such as Airbnb that have disrupted the 

leisure accommodation sector. 

However, they remain niche players, 

according to figures from the World Travel 

Monitor. In 2015, Europeans booked socalled 

“sharing” accommodation for 14 

million outbound trips, which was a mere 

3% of all their international trips. Nearly 

two thirds of these bookings were for 

apartments/flats and holiday homes, while 

only about 15% were for private rooms or 

B&B stays. 

“These apparently low figures may seem 

surprising considering how often ‘sharing’ 

companies make headlines about their 

dynamic growth, but they also show the 

sizeable future potential for these players,” 

commented Dr Martin Buck, Messe Berlin’s 

Senior Vice President 

INTERNATIONAL 

TOURISM 

ARRIVALS 

% change over same 

period of the previous year 

Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) © 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

-2 

-4 

-6 

-8 

-10 

-12 

-14 

4.6 

4.2 

4 

WORLD 

5 

7 

NORTHERN EUROPE 

6 

3 

2 

WESTERN EUROPE 

-1 

-6 

7 

5 5 5 

CENTRAL/EASTERN EUR. 

SOUTHERN/MEDIT. EUR. 

0 

14/13 

15*/14 

16*/15 January - Septembre


POSITIVE GROWTH 

FORECAST FOR EU TOURISM 

Eduardo Santander, executive director – European Travel 

Commission – on current trends… 

Europe is still one of the world’s most vibrant and appealing destinations for travellers 

around the world. 2016 marked a year of sustained growth for the European 

tourism sector with handsome growth posted by a vast majority of destinations 

amid a volatile economic and political environment and safety and security concerns. We 

asked Eduardo Santander how his organisation sees trends for the coming year… 

Eduardo 

Santander 

Executive Director, 

European Travel Commission 

ETC’s outlook for European tourism in the 

coming year remains positive with growth 

in arrivals forecasted to be 3% among ETC 

members. The key enablers to sustain Europe’s 

leading position as the #1 tourism destination 

worldwide lies in: strong cooperation between 

destinations and stakeholders, diversification 

of the region’s guest mix and an adequate 

targeting of potential travellers outside the 

dominant intra-European markets, considering 

both emerging and matured markets. 

Only through increased commitment and 

cooperation from the European authorities 

will Europe remain competitive and succeed in 

fostering travel to Europe. 

ONLY THROUGH INCREASED 

COMMITMENT AND COOPERATION 

FROM THE EUROPEAN AUTHORITIES 

WILL EUROPE REMAIN COMPETITIVE 

AND SUCCEED IN FOSTERING 

TRAVEL TO EUROPE 

You recently penned an agreement with 

the European Destinations of Excellence 

Network to boost promotion of Europe. 

Could you please tell us more about this? 

The EDEN Network represents some European 

destinations off the beaten track, real hidden 

gems which boost excellence in terms of 

authenticity and sustainability. ETC and EDEN 

have collaborated since the very beginning of 

the EDEN project, launched by the European 

Commission several years ago, and with 

this MoU we formalized our relationship. 

ETC supports the EDEN initiative within 

its membership network, and the EDEN 

destinations are featured on the ETC b2c 

promotional channels. 

Last year, you launched an initiative to 

boost LGBT-welcoming tourism. How has 

this been performing and what are the 

goals of the exercise? 

While we do not approve the clustering 

of the LGBT community into a separate 

segment, many European destinations are 

proudly showcasing themselves as inclusive 

and welcoming for all travellers. Europe has 

been at the forefront of the political battle to 

legalise same sex unions and child adoption, 

and all European countries protect the LGBT 

community through anti-discrimination laws. 

Europe is home to everything from pride 

parades to museums that celebrate the LGBT 

community. Many European capitals are 

revered as some of the most LGBT-friendly 

cities in the world, and the continent is a 

popular destination for same-sex weddings 

and honeymoons. We are proud of being 

a LGBT-friendly destination and the ETC 

partnership with IGLTA is another step in the 

right direction


TRENDING DESTINATIONS 




FRANCE: 

THE “HOW TO” GUIDE 

French DMO Atout France develops powerful tools 

to optimise travel to France 

Among the most remarkable initiatives of 

France in maintaining and improving its 

position as leader in the field of tourism 

initiatives, the nation has launched 

“thematic offerings” and “destinations 

contracts”, great tools available to 

tourism professionals. 

The seven “thematic offerings” put 

forward are summer mountain tourism, 

wine tourism, gastronomy, ecotourism, 

“savoir faire” tourism, night tourism, 

heritage tourism and cruises. 

In terms of regions, and to answer the 

question ‘’Which regions to choose? ‘’ 

22 “destination contracts” have been 

devised. These are tools developed to aid 

the attractiveness and valorisation of the 

territory in order to bring in more new 

international visitors. 

They are grouped into five themes. 

1. The Heritage offering, with Mont 

Saint Michel and its Bay, the Loire Valley, 

the Impressionist destination Normandy, 

around Louvre Lens, and Paris – 

“augmented” city; 

2. Eco-tourism, highlighting the good 

life and the discovery of natural and 

heritage sites with Brittany, the art of 

living in Provence, Corsica, the Valley of 

the Dordogne, Guyana; 

3. Wine and gastronomy tourism 

with Champagne, 

Burgundy, 

Bordeaux, and 

Lyon - city of 

gastronomy 

4. Mountain and 

revitalisation, with the 

mountains of the Jura, the 

Vosges, the Alps, the Auvergne, 

Mont Blanc and the Pyrenees. 

5. Sport and relaxation with “Biarritz 

- golf destination”, and the French 

Riviera. 

To encourage 

a better 

understanding 

and interest of 

and for these 

exceptional 

communication 

tools in terms of promoting “Destination 

France” and its “unique selling points”, 

Atout France – the country’s destination 

marketing organisation – is due to publish 

a “How To” guide targeting international 

travel and tourism professionals for the 

occasion of ITB Berlin 2017. This document 

will be available not only at Atout 

France, but also through (among others) 

online via the “publications” section of 

www.hotelandtourismonline.com 

The destination contracts 

VIRTUOSO 

CHAIRMAN’S 

EVENT 2016 

HELD IN PARIS 

Following the attacks of November 2015 

and at the initiative of Atout France, 

Matthew D. Upchurch, Chairman & CEO 

of Virtuoso, chose Paris as the city to host 

this most prestigious flagship event in 

support of the French capital. 

Over 120 participants from the luxury 

travel sector attended from the 13 th to the 

17 th of November 2016 - the best travel 

agencies in the world coming together to 

see the leader of the tourism industry and 

specialist in the art of travel


TRENDING DESTINATIONS 

© F Higer 

© Dmitri Popov 

Chrysopolitissa, 

Paphos, Cyprus 

Downtown Aarhus, 

Denmark 

SPOTLIGHT ON AARHUS 

AND PAPHOS 

European Cultural Capitals 2017 

Every year, European Capitals of Culture 

highlight the richness of Europe’s 

cultural diversity and take a fresh look 

at its shared history and heritage, 

promoting mutual understanding and 

showing how the universal language of 

creativity opens Europe to cultures from 

across the world. 

THIS YEAR’S CAPITALS… 

With “Rethink” as its central theme, Aarhus 

2017 (Denmark) will show how arts, culture 

and the creative sector can help us to rethink 

and shape our basic social, urban, cultural 

and economic patterns of behaviour and 

find new solutions to common challenges. 

A rooftop Viking saga performance, an art 

exhibition stretching across the city and the 

coastline, a “Creativity World Forum” and 

an international children’s literary festival 

are just some of the many events which 

will create new ways to build on our shared 

past. 

PAPHOS 2017 (Cyprus) will embrace its 

experiences of multiculturalism and the 

city’s geographical proximity to the Middle 

East and North Africa to strengthen 

relations between countries and cultures. 

“Linking Continents, Bridging Cultures” 

is the common thread running through 

hundreds of events, which will unite 

the city and bring citizens, migrants and 

visitors together through culture. Building 

on a tradition of thousands of years of 

cultural life in open spaces, PAPHOS is set 

to become an immense open stage, an 

“Open Air Factory”, where cultural actors 

and citizens can come together to explore 

contemporary ways of creating and living. 

WHAT IS A EUROPEAN 

CAPITAL OF CULTURE? 

European Capitals of Culture are one of the 

most recognised EU projects. They started 

in 1985 on the initiative of the then Greek 

Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri. 

The idea is to put cities at the heart of cultural 

life across Europe. Through culture and art, 

European Capitals of Culture improve the 

quality of life in these cities and strengthen 

their sense of community. Citizens can take 

part in the year-long activities and play a 

bigger role in their city’s development and 

cultural expression. 

Being a European Capital of Culture brings 

fresh life to these cities, boost- ing their 

cultural, social and economic development. 

Many of them, like Lille, Glasgow and 

Essen, have demonstrated that the title can 

be a great opportunity to regenerate their 

urban centres, bringing creativity, visitors 

and international recognition. 

SUCCESS STORIES 

Marseille-Provence 2013 (France) 

transformed itself physically with additions 

such as the Museum of European and 

Mediterranean Civilisations. The European 

Capital of Culture was part of an investment 

project in new cultural infrastructure of 

more than e600 million - which was in turn 

integrated into a multi-billion euro effort 

to revitalise the city that spanned several 

decades. Marseille 2013 raised e16.5 million 

in private sponsorship from 207 companies. 

In Košice 2013 (Slovakia), the private 

sector and local universi- ties worked 

together to transform an industrial city to 

highlight creative potential, new cultural 

infrastructure and establish Košice as a 

tourist hub for the Carpathian Region


TRENDING HOTELS 




ASHFORD CASTLE 

VIRTUOSO’S 

HOTEL OF 

THE YEAR 

Recently fully restored to its historic splendour, 

the Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland, has 

received countless accolades, and was recently 

voted the N°1 resort & inn in Great Britain and 

Ireland. 

Laurence Onfroy, CEO and Founder of 

TemptingPlaces, and Anna Rollema, General 

Manager Le Marianne, at ILTM Cannes 

LE MARIANNE – PARIS – 

THE “PARISIAN 

RESIDENCE OF 

CHOICE” 

Completely remodelled by the 

architect Vincent Bastie, this 

beautiful building from the 

Haussmann period is the first hotel 

project of architect/designer Charles 

Zana, and reflects his talent in 

creating living spaces where one 

feels truly at home. As such, very 

different from the theme hotels 

crowding the capital, Le Marianne 

aims to be a “calming and refined 

refuge where art meets the art of 

living”. 

A member of TemptingPlaces, the 

property is tucked away in the rue 

Paul Baudry, away from the hustle 

and bustle of the Champs Elysées. 

With a decor that successfully blurs 

the lines of traditional hostelry, 

Le Marianne presents itself as an 

exclusive private residence. 

The Marianne’s location in Paris’ 

8 th arrondissement and its vicinity 

to the rue du Faubourg Saint- 

Honoré offers the business traveller 

immediate access to the business 

world: many companies and large 

law firms, both French and Anglo- 

Saxon, are headquartered in the 

area. 

The hotel has an English-style 

Honesty Bar, offering refreshments, 

hot drinks and carefully selected 

wines and top shelf spirits. 

Guests note down what they 

have consumed and are billed at 

checkout 

The loving restoration comes down to the simple 

fact that the property had been purchased by 

the Red Carnation group – a family owned 

business. At the heart of this love story is the 

group’s Founder and President, Bea Tollman - a 

woman and leader greatly respected and much 

adored by all those who have the pleasure of 

knowing her as a guest, as a colleague, as part 

of the Red Carnation Hotel family. Over a career 

spanning six decades, Ms Tollman has built an 

award-winning collection of 17 five and four star 

boutique hotels in London, Dorset, Guernsey, 

Ireland, Geneva, Florida and South Africa. 

World-renowned properties within the collection 

include The Milestone Hotel in London; The Oyster 

Box Hotel and Spa in Umhlanga Rocks, Durban; 

the Hotel d’Angleterre in Geneva and this, the 

iconic Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland, 

which is currently Hotel of the Year, as voted by 

members of luxury travel company Virtuoso 

Ashford Castle, Exterior




SOPHISTICATED 

NEW SUITES 

@ THE SAVOY 

London’s legendary The 

Savoy – a Fairmont Managed 

Hotel – recently debuted its 

new Royal Suite, an elegant 

procession of rooms spanning 

the entire Thames River view 

side of the iconic hotel’s fifth 

floor. With a classically posh, 

residential design style, guests 

of the Royal Suite have access 

to a dedicated Savoy Royal 

Entourage including a Savoy 

Butler and a chauffeur-driven 

Rolls Royce. 

The Savoy is one of the 

most celebrated of London 

landmarks, standing on the 

Northbank of the Thames, with 

the ballet, opera and theatre 

of vibrant Covent Garden just 

steps away 

Virgin Hotels 

Chicago 

A NEW BREED OF SERENE LUXURY 

@ LAKE COMO 

A new addition to Leading Hotels of 

the World, Il Sereno brings a new era of 

luxury to the banks of Italy’s iconic Lake 

Como with an understated elegance 

bringing a fresh approach to this wellestablished 

destination. 

Designed by Patricia Urquiola, the allsuite 

hotel offers modern style and 

an authentic flair, all in the name of 

effortless comfort. Il Sereno incorporates 

the unparalleled beauty of Lake Como 

in its seamless design with panoramic 

view from every inch of the outstanding 

property. 

The 30 spacious rooms, ranging from 65 

square meters in size to The Penthouse 

at 200+ square meters, all make full use 

of the natural light and awe-inspiring 

scenery with floor-to-ceiling windows 

and views of the peaceful waterfront. 

The property features a private beach, as 

well as a dock, allowing guests to arrive 

via one of the hotel’s boats, custombuilt 

by Ernesto Riva. The 60-foot-long 

freshwater infinity pool suspended over 

the lake is without a doubt one of Il 

Sereno’s show-stopping features, and 

the large sundeck is perfect for spending 

a leisurely afternoon under the Italian 

sun

EUROPE OUTBOUND 

EUROPEAN OUTBOUND 

TRAVEL UP 2.5% 

Europeans play it safe by switching destinations 

Europeans changed their travelling 

habits in 2016 by opting for safe 

destinations. This included stagnation 

of sun & beach holidays, while 

travellers went on more city trips. 

Overall, outbound travel by Europeans 

grew by 2.5% in the first eight 

months of 2016, according to World 

Travel Monitor figures. Outbound 

trips to destinations within Europe 

increased by 3% as travellers stayed 

closer to home, while trips to Asia 

grew only 2% and there was a 1% 

drop to the Americas. Top performers 

in terms of outbound growth were 

Poland and Ireland (both +7%), UK, 

Netherlands, Spain and Denmark 

(all +6%) while the German market 

grew by 4%, according to World 

Travel Monitor figures. 

The number of holiday trips by 

Europeans increased by a moderate 

2% but there was a high 10% 

increase in the number of visits to 

family and friends (VFR) and other 

leisure trips abroad. “This suggests 

that a significant number of people 

preferred the safety of private homes 

to commercial accommodation this 

year,” commented Paco Buerbaum, 

CEO of IPK International. 

Changes occurred in the types of 

holidays taken by Europeans between 

January and August 2016, according 

to World Travel Monitor figures. The 

number of sun & beach holidays 

stagnated, while touring holidays fell 

by 5% yet city trips went up by 15%. 

The overall average spend per trip 

was stable at 910 euros. 

Dr. Martin Buck, Messe Berlin’s Senior 

Vice President, commented: “The flat 

growth for beach holidays reflects 

the concerns of many tourists about 

visiting some destinations that have 

experienced terror attacks. Some 

countries are growing well, and 

others are really struggling. However, 

the strong growth for city trips shows 

that Europeans are not being scared 

away from visiting cities.” 

The outlook for European outbound 

travel in 2017 appears more 

optimistic. IPK expects last year’s 

trends will remain broadly the same 

this year. “People will still go for 

holidays, they are just changing the 

type of holiday and the destinations. 

They are going to places that they 

perceive as safe,” said Buerbaum. 

IPK currently predicts a 4% rise 

in European outbound trips in 

2017, based on its European Travel 

Confidence Index, which measures 

travel intentions for the next year. 

Confidence is highest in Ireland 

(+8%), Denmark and the UK (both 

+7%), while the outlook is also 

above average in Finland, Belgium, 

Switzerland and France. In contrast, 

Germany looks set for about 2% 

growth along with Russia 

EUROPEAN TRAVEL CONFIDENCE 

– IPK FORECAST PER SOURCE MARKET 

Spain 

Great Britain 

Poland 

Germany 

Europe 

France 

Russia 

Italy 

85 90 95 100 105 110 

Source: European Traval Monitor® 1-8 2015, IPK International 

Warsaw 

Vienna 

St Patersburg 

Dublin 

Helsinki 

The Hague 

Manchester 

Zurich 

Barcelona 

Hamburg 

Stockholm 

Brussels 

Munich 

Paris 

Moscow 

Madrid 

Rotterdam 

Berlin 

Amsterdam 

London 

1.5 

1.5 

1.8 

1.8 

1.9 

2.0 

2.1 

2.2 

2.2 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.3 

2.4 

2.7 

2.7 

3.0 

3.0 

Source: Tourism Economics 

TOP EUROPE 

OUTBOUND CITIES 

CONTRIBUTION TO 

EUROPE OUTBOUND 

TRAVEL, 2015-2020 // 

% SHARE OF LOCAL 

DEPARTURES GROWTH 

5.4 

9.2 

0 2 4 6 8 10




HOTELS THAT 

MAKE EUROPEAN 

CLIENTS FEEL 

AT HOME 

Spotlight on the French guest: the dos 

and don’ts according to an industry 

expert 

would ask them what they really want to 

experience and send them to a restaurant 

with amazing food and decor related to 

this country. 

I am very happy that we have implemented 

digital newspapers and magazines at 

my hotel. Guests can find thousands of 

different titles for free from all over the 

world. The European clientele loves it. The 

TV is also a very important tool to make 

them feel comfortable, by including TV5 

– the French language channel. In recent 

times, we have been working on creating 

a digital room service menu where guests 

can place the order directly in their own 

language. 

Franck Savoy 

Director, Casa Del Mar, 

Santa Monica 

Welcoming guests from France 

around the world takes 

more than a little “je ne 

sais quoi” if you really want to shine. 

French-born Franck Savoy is operations 

director of Santa Monica’s famed Casa 

Del Mar, member of Leading Hotels of 

the World and gives us the following 

interesting pointers. 

The French clientele is far from Europe, so 

it’s important to make them feel at home. 

There are not only language barriers but 

there’s also a different culture to respect, 

right down to the little things, such as 

the morning routines, or the way to talk 

to them, but also the suggestion of any 

attractions around the hotel. This clientele 

wants us to speak their language. So 

it is very important to have employees 

speaking different languages. It is very 

common that if guests don’t speak English 

that the front office agent will call me (if 

guests are French) to talk to them about 

the hotel, the city or some “cool” or 

different attractions. In this case, the client 

is put at his or her ease. Here, for example, 

I would never send a French couple to 

a French restaurant for instance but 

French guests do not want to be treated 

like tourists. They are very outgoing and 

have particular needs. For instance, in 

Food and Beverage, they need to recognise 

products. Therefore, you need to cater to: 

great croissants, a few French wines but 

you also need to provide an exceptional 

espresso: le “jus de chaussette” (eds: sock 

juice) coffee of the USA is something they 

detest. 

But the most important thing in order to 

take care of those customers is always 

checking on them during their stay and 

who knows, becoming friends. As I always 

say: if you take care of your guests and 

provide for their needs, then your business 

will grow 

IN RECENT TIMES, WE 

HAVE BEEN WORKING ON 

CREATING A DIGITAL ROOM 

SERVICE MENU WHERE 

GUESTS CAN PLACE THE 

ORDER DIRECTLY IN THEIR 

OWN LANGUAGE

INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES 




© iStock - chombosan 

WHEN COMPLEXITY 

IS TRANSFORMED 

INTO EFFICIENCY 

AND SIMPLICITY 

The multiplication of 

monitoring and control points 

in a hotel could well create 

major issues of complexity. 

But to the contrary, while the 

mechanics and electronics 

of modern installations are 

indeed becoming vastly more 

complicated, the goal is one 

of simplifying life for the guest 

and increasing efficiencies for 

the hotelier. 

In this section, we take a closer 

look at two disruptive aspects 

of hotel technology: keyless 

room access and the Internet of 

Things (IoT). 

While the former is related to the 

latter, these two technological 

advances tend to leave most in 

the industry cold when it comes 

to understanding their “ROI”. 

Thanks to some savvy input from 

Hilton’s VP of digital product & 

innovation, Joshua Soser and 

out regular contributor, David 

Esseryk, we hope to give you’re 

a clearer understanding of 

these issues…


KEYS? 

WHAT KEYS? 

Hilton Worldwide continues vast rollout 

of digital access technology 

Hotel companies are starting to conclude that guest room key cards 

are perhaps no longer the key to customer satisfaction. The largest 

hotel companies in the world are thus now experimenting with 

technology that allows guests to use their smartphones to open the doors 

to their rooms bypassing the front desk upon arrival. Hilton Worldwide 

first launched mobile room check-in in 2015. At that time, Vice President of 

Digital Product & Innovation Joshua Sloser was impressed by its widespread 

adoption, and today, thanks to its initial success, the Digital Key system is 

rolling out over hundreds of properties. We asked Mr Sloser to tell us more 

about the project. 

Joshua Sloser 

Vice President 

of Digital Product & Innovation, 

Hilton Worldwide 

Digital Key is one of the many great 

features guests find on the Hilton Honors 

app. We have transformed the Hilton 

Honors app from being just a great 

booking tool into being a one-stopshop 

where guests can go for anything 

they need throughout their experience 

with Hilton. We started with digital 

check-in with room selection, which 

gave guests the ability to check-in to 

the hotel digitally and select their exact 

room after looking at a map of the floor 

plan and hotel’s outside surroundings. 

Digital Key was the next step in creating 

the ultimate digital check-in experience. 

With the Hilton Honors app, guests 

can bypass the front desk and use their 

smartphone as their room key. Hilton 

Honors members have used Digital 

Key to open more than 3 million doors 

across nearly 800 properties in the US, 

Canada and Singapore. In the coming 

months, we are enhancing Digital Key 

even more. We’re making it easier for 

families on vacation or friends on a 

group trip to request multiple Digital 

Keys per room which can be accesses on 

more than one device. 

DIGITAL 

CHECK-IN WITH 

ROOM SELECTION 

IS USED OVER 

1 MILLION TIMES 

PER MONTH 

Who was involved in working on the 

digital key project and how did the 

process work for finding the right 

solutions? 

Digital Key is an all hands-on deck 

project. We created cross-functional




SEVERAL 

GROUPS TENDING 

TOWARDS 

KEYLESS ENTRY 

teams between digital, design, hotel operations and IT. Our task? 

Develop an easy-to-use, visually pleasing feature and work with 

property owners around the world to seamlessly integrate it with 

our property management system. We started beta testing Digital 

Key at a handful of properties in August, 2015 – after rigorous 

internal testing. After great responses during the testing phase, 

we started rolling it out across the US and then to Canada and 

Singapore in 2016. We are excited to continue to expand this in 

more countries around the world throughout 2017. 

How important is this as a unique selling point for 

Hilton? Why? 

Mobile technology is a huge part of many of our guests’ lives. We 

are seeing more than half of all traffic come in via a mobile device. 

That informs how we engage with our customers. Technology, 

especially mobile technology, gives us the ability to reach our 

guests at the right time, in the right way and when they need 

us most. 

Digital Key complements our guests’ lifestyles by giving them 

the convenience, access and decision making power they want. 

Almost one-fifth of our hotels have Digital Key – and our guests 

have told us how much they love the feature. We’ve answered 

the call to provide a valued solution to streamline the check-in 

process. 

What has feedback been like so far? 

Our guests have widely praised Digital Key. We’ve seen feedback 

from guest surveys and feedback such as: “Digital Key is 

fabulous!”, “This is an extremely convenient benefit for being a 

Hilton Honors member”, or “For a frequent traveller like myself, 

the ability to select my room and bypass the front desk is a 

competitive advantage. No other hotel group offers this type of 

service.” 

Digital check-in with room selection is used over 1 million times 

per month. That’s once every two-and-a-half seconds. Also, more 

than 70% of those who use digital check-in also use Digital 

Key. Overall, the Hilton Honors app is one of the highest rates 

travel apps in the Apple App store. We’ve giving guests complete 

autonomy on-property by putting the remote control to their stay 

experience in the palm of their hand 

In the past 2 years, Marriott and InterContinental 

Hotels Group (IHG) have also been testing 

keyless room entry technology at a number of 

select properties. At time of writing, Mobile key 

technology is reported to be in use at 18 Marriott 

hotels and is set to roll out across Marriott’s Moxy 

Hotels brand. 

Hyatt Hotels have also dabbled in this space, 

reportedly examining a variety of prototypes 

for guests to access their rooms, including 

Wi-Fi enabled airport shuttles that print keys 

while guests are heading towards the hotel to 

smartphone-enabled door keys, which are available 

at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Hyatt Regency 

Bellevue, and Hyatt Regency Savannah. 

LAUNCH 

OF THE 

NEW 

VINGCARD 

ESSENCE 

The “essence of minimalism” 

is at the heart of the new 

VingCard Essence, combining ASSA ABLOY Hospitality 

Mobile Access technology with “invisible” design. The new 

design hides the electronics inside the door and works with 

most door materials. 

The system comes with improved reading distance on 

the RFID reader, and wireless online capabilities. The 

product also benefits from compatibility with ASSA 

ABLOY Hospitality Mobile Access, powered by secure Seos 

technology, a solution which allows guests to take control 

of their hotel experience, using their smartphone or watch.


With the expectations of the modern traveller continuously evolving, hotels are 

turning to advanced technology to better tailor, enrich and differentiate their 

on-site experience. In particular, hotels have adapted to the growing Internet 

of Things (IoT) trend, leveraging real-time communication to do everything from enabling 

seamless guest navigation to fostering a comfortable and personalised in-room experience 

through customised media. 

The “hotel of the future” is becoming a 

contemporary reality, with interactive and 

captivating displays driving necessary change. 

Beyond the physical signage itself, convenient 

and intuitive management platforms - such 

as Samsung’s LYNK Hospitality Management 

Solution (HMS) – empower hotels to deliver 

content and engage with guests with 

unprecedented efficiency. 

A WARM WELCOME 

Will arrives at the hotel the night before his 

meeting, eager to make the most of his travels. 

During check-in, the resort staff securely 

transfers details about his stay to a proprietary 

HMS server. As a result, Will is surprised to see 

a personalised welcome message scroll across 

the bottom of his in-room television. The HMS 

solution additionally selects and showcases 

STAYING POWER… 

A day in the life of the display-driven hotel of the future … 

By Samsung Electronics 

So just what does a day in the “hotel of the 

future” look like? The journey of Will, an 

everyday businessman traveling to a resort hotel 

in Phoenix for a meeting, may offer added insight 

into new opportunities for hotels to revitalize 

the guest experience and reinforce customer 

loyalty through state-of-the-art management 

and communication technologies. 

promotions for on-site facilities and amenities 

that may be of interest throughout the duration 

of his stay. 

A COMFORTABLE NIGHT 

Travel can be tough for Will, as he often 

struggles to get comfortable. Fortunately, 

LYNK HMS enables him to set a variety of 

room parameters to match those he enjoys at 

home. Through seamless communication with 

multiple on-site platforms, LYNK HMS gives Will 

complete control over all aspects of the in-room 

environment, ranging from lighting and energy 

use to equipment performance. In turn, Will 

sets the room temperature, closes the blinds to 

leave only a sliver of visible light and activates 

a virtual “do not disturb” sign from one single 

screen without having to leave his bed. 

Fresh off a great night’s rest, Will is greeted by the 

morning sky at the exact time he programmed 

the blinds to open. He heads downstairs to 

squeeze in a quick workout before his meeting. 

Sensing that the room is unoccupied, the LYNK 





THE “HOTEL OF THE 

FUTURE” IS BECOMING A 

CONTEMPORARY REALITY, 

WITH INTERACTIVE AND 

CAPTIVATING DISPLAYS 

DRIVING NECESSARY 

CHANGE 

HMS energy management automatically 

turns off the air conditioning until Will 

returns. Through this integrated, sensorbased 

communication, the resort is able to 

reduce energy costs while still ensuring its 

guests remain content. 

A PRODUCTIVE MEETING 

Much as he found the day before, Will’s 

colleagues are greeted by a lobby welcome 

message that also lists their room location. 

The group is surprised to see that their 

conference room is equipped with an 

interactive white board display. Will quickly 

turns on the display and gets started 

without delay. 

The interactive white board enlivens the 

group’s discussion and keeps all participants 

engaged through touch-driven, realtime 

collaboration. The meeting goes 

seamlessly, and Will’s team is able to share 

the annotated documents via email directly 

through the display. 

Sensing the need for a break, Will and 

his team venture to the main lobby for 

lunch. The group not only is unsure of 

where to go, but must also be mindful of 

one participant’s strict dietary restrictions. 

Thankfully, the kiosk display that Will 

accessed earlier also enables the group to 

scroll through the menus for all four on-site 

restaurants in a single space, and make a 

decision that pleases the entire team. 

Simultaneously, the hotel’s staff can ensure 

that Will’s room remains functional, clean 

and comfortable while he is away. The 

LYNK HMS solution’s room management 

tools offer visibility into the performance 

of every in-room component, and in turn, 

hotel teams can assign maintenance and 

housekeeping crews to alleviate problems 

at the most convenient times. When Will 

returns, he is pleased to find that his room 

holds a peaceful temperature. 

A SMOOTH DEPARTURE 

On the way back from his morning workout 

the next day, Will conveniently notices a 

ticker on the lobby’s central video wall 

display. Through RSS syndication, Will sees 

that flights at the Phoenix airport are on 

time, and that the weather will be warmer 

than it was the day before. He completes 

a seamless checkout through the in-room 

display and heads for the airport, energized 

by his stay and the positive outcome from 

his meeting. En route, he posts a favourable 

review for the hotel on several prominent 

travel sites, and texts his girlfriend with 

a suggestion that the pair return for a 

weekend stay later in the year. 

As the “hotel of the future” continues 

to take shape, what remains clear is that 

today’s tech-savvy guests expect seamless 

access to engaging real-time content and 

convenient room management from arrival 

through check-out. Will’s virtual journey is 

just one example of how forward-thinking 

hotels can create a differentiated and 

memorable stay through cutting-edge 

displays and complementary management 

technology 

WHAT IS SAMSUNG 

LYNK HMS? 

LYNK HMS (Hospitality 

Management Solution) transforms 

in-room hotel televisions into a 

control and management hub, 

combining critical capabilities into 

a single solution. This integrated 

solution enables hotels to operate 

more efficiently and provide 

differentiated services to their 

guests through four core services. 

These services include Room 

Management Solution (RMS), 

Energy Management Solution 

(EMS), In-Room Control (IRC) 

Service and Content Management 

Solution (CMS).


In The Field 

with David Esseryk 

THE "INSIDE LINE" ON WHAT'S HOT IN HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGIES 

PART 16 

HOW NETWORKING 

TECHNOLOGIES FIT INTO 

THE HOTEL ENVIRONMENT 

THE BENEFITS 

OF IOT (INTERNET 

OF THINGS) FOR 

THE HOSPITALITY 

INDUSTRY 

Pre-empting customer needs, 

through understanding 

customer behaviour, is key 

to providing impeccable 

customer service and 

ensuring repeat and loyal 

custom. The Internet of Things 

and beacon technology, in 

addition to an intelligent 

backend, may help companies 

to understand more about 

their buildings or assets, to 

deliver new services. 

IMPROVING CUSTOMER 

SATISFACTION 

If we look at luxury cars today, many 

feature the ability to alter the environment 

based on who opens the driving door. 

The car will adjust the seats, automatically 

alter multimedia settings, temperature 

settings and other conditions, based 

on the driver, to deliver the ultimate 

in personalised experience. The 

hospitality sector can leverage 

this type of approach 

INCORPORATING 

IOT AND SMART 

SENSORS AS PART 

OF YOUR OPERATIONS 

WILL DELIVER 

by having smart 

heating systems 

and multimedia 

technology to 

tailor rooms 

based on the guest 

and what they have set 

in the past. 

An example of this comes 

from Samsung’s LYNK 

Hospitality Management Solution 

(HMS), which provides a robust tool 

for automating guest rooms, controlled 

via in-room smart TVs. The system 

combines intelligent room management, 

energy management, in-room controls 

and content management services in one 

user-friendly platform. This ensures that 

the system can optimise each room for 

energy efficiency, while also providing 

convenient entertainment options 

for guests, enhancing their overall 

experience. 

BUSINESS 

INTELLIGENCE 

IMPROVING BUSINESS 

EFFICIENCIES 

Maintaining and reducing operational 

costs, while being environmentally 

conscious, has always been a focus 

for the hospitality industry. With often 

large properties to manage, ensuring 

that assets are managed properly and 

efficiently, could save companies millions 

in costs. 

By implementing smart sensors, hotel 

companies are able to more effectively 

manage energy usage and assets. For 

example, sensors can be used in guest 

rooms to measure natural light and 

therefore dim artificial lighting. Sensors 

can also be used to automatically notify 

maintenance when assets show distress. 

Incorporating such IoT devices in 

guest rooms can save money by 

identifying maintenance issues 

before they become costly 

problems. For example, 

an overflowing bathtub 

and a burst water 

pipe can cause 

serious damage to 

the floor and ceiling, 

as well as render the room 

completely uninhabitable 

until the problem is fixed. By 

addressing maintenance issues 

early, the issue can be addressed 

promptly by maintenance staff, and the 

room will be available for guests with 

little, if any, delay. 

Incorporating IoT and smart sensors 

as part of your operations will deliver 

business intelligence that can help to 

cut costs and improve customer service. 

However, with IoT still in its relative 

infancy, adequate security protocols have 

yet to be established. This means that 

devices are vulnerable to hackers until 

suitable measures can be implemented. 

Hospitality has the potential to be one 

of the early adopters of the Internet 

of Things, as it is already an industry 

that works closely with both people 

and technology. Through a closer 

understanding of your assets, operations 

and your customers, IoT provides access 

to analytics and a level of control to a 

hospitality environment, which was not 

available before. 

SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION

Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #33

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