Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #35

THE PROFESSIONAL BUYERS’ REFERENCE

SMARTreport

ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS

#17 / PRIVATE ISLAND

GETAWAYS A GROWING

TREND

SPOTLIGHT ON

ASIA-PACIFIC

#25 / GROWTH IN INTRA-

REGIONAL TRAVEL BOOSTS

FIGURES

INNOVATIONS

& TECHNOLOGIES

#41 / LEVERAGING

NOMADIC DEVICES FOR

YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS

…I AM

OPTIMISTIC

ABOUT THE

FUTURE OF

SUSTAINABILITY

IN THE TRAVEL

INDUSTRY…

Lynn Cutter

Industry Visionary

#35 - 2017 SUMMER EDITION / A CLEVERDIS PUBLICATION

Richard Barnes

Editor-in-chief

richard.barnes@cleverdis.com

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

Hotel & Tourism

SMARTreport #35

2017 Summer Edition 5

FOREWORD

TOURISM AS A GUIDING LIGHT

FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

As the United Nations Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development

unfolds – an initiative for which Cleverdis has been named by the

UNWTO as Campaign Supporter – it becomes increasingly evident

that the mere act of travelling the world opens peoples’ eyes to the

essential nature of sustainability. And as we arrive at the 22 nd session

of the UNWTO General Assembly in Chengdu, China, more than ever,

the future of the planet and its peoples takes centre stage.

To this end, in this edition of the SMARTreport, we have chosen to

spotlight the activities of the World Tourism Organisation with regard

to sustainable tourism, but also to place the spotlight on a leading

global figure when it comes to promoting this – in the shape of Lynn

Cutter – former EVP at National Geographic, and a person with a

deep concern for the methods and actions employed by all those in

the industry when it comes to reducing our impact on the planet,

helping local communities in a sustainable way through tourism, and

building infrastructure that includes the latest “green” concepts and

ideas. In no region is this more important today than perhaps Asia-

Pacific – the featured region in this edition. Wishing each and every

one happy reading… and a sustainable future!

CONTENTS

6 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

6 THE DIRECTION OF

SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM

Lynn Cutter, Former Executive Vice President

of Travel - National Geographic Partners

9 NEWS

9 GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR SET TO

TAKE TOP ROLE AT WORLD TOURISM

ORGANISATION

Zurab Pololikashvili,

Ambassador of Georgia in Spain

10 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: TIME FOR

A GLOBAL COMMITMENT

11 EVENTS

11 VIRTUOSO TRAVEL WEEK

13 THE TOP INDUSTRY EVENT IN THE

WORLD’S CAPITAL OF TOURISM

14 HTNG EXPANDS INTO HOSPITALITY

VERTICALS

15 EVENTS CALENDAR

17 ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS

17 EUROPE STILL TOP OF GLOBAL

TRAVELLERS’ WISH LISTS THIS

SUMMER

19 IN THE FIELD WITH EVELYNE GAUDIN

PRIVATE ISLAND RESORTS

AND NATURAL WONDERS

20 REALLY GETTING AWAY FROM IT

ALL - IN THE ISLANDS OF TAHITI

21 ROMANTIC SECLUSION IN THE HEART

OF BALI’S TROPICAL JUNGLE

21 LILY BEACH VOTED MALDIVES’

“LEADING ALLINCLUSIVE RESORT”

22 A NEW TAKE ON LUXURY IN

ISTANBUL

23 A PRIVILEGED MOMENT

25 ASIA-PACIFIC

25 ASIAN TOURISTS BOOST

REGIONAL TOURISM

26 AIR TRANSPORT

APAC LEADS AIR PASSENGER

GROWTH

28 ASIA-PACIFIC INBOUND

TRENDS & FIGURES : ROSY

PERSPECTIVES FOR HOTELIERS

IN ASIA

30 MALDIVES: AIRLINES STEP-UP

FREQUENCIES FOLLOWING QATAR

AIRWAYS BAN

31 BEAUTIFUL REEF…

BY NAME AND BY NATURE

32 A DIFFERENT TAKE ON SE ASIA

Edouard George, President, Phoenix Voyages

33 MALAYSIA NAMED AS OFFICIAL

PARTNER COUNTRY OF ITB BERLIN

2019

34 BALI: MASSIVE GROWTH CONTINUES

35 IA ORA NA

36 “PROUD TO BE PUNCHING ABOVE

OUR WEIGHT”

Dr Jennifer Cronin, President, Marco Polo Hotels

37 STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME

IN SEOUL

Matthew Cooper, General Manager,

JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square, Seoul

38 THE FRENCH TOUCH IN TOKYO

39 ASIA-PACIFIC OUTBOUND

TRENDS & FIGURES:

INDIA: ASIA’S NEXT BOOMING

OUTBOUND MARKET

40 WELCOMING THE JAPANESE VISITOR

41 INNOVATIONS

& TECHNOLOGIES

41 KEEPING UP WITH THE PHONES

42 APAC CONTINUES TO LEAD THE PUSH

TOWARDS A COMPLETELY MOBILE

TRAVELLER LIFE CYCLE

44 THE ONSET OF MOBILE

46 REDEFINING THE HOSPITALITY

EXPERIENCE

48 IN THE FIELD WITH DAVID ESSERYK

MOBILE APPS

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Lynn Cutter

Former Executive Vice

President of Travel - National

Geographic Partners

THE DIRECTION OF

SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM

Exclusive interview – Lynn Cutter – former EVP of Travel for

National Geographic

Having recently left National Geographic Partners to pursue new horizons, Lynn Cutter is

renowned for building innovative sustainable travel business. Given this year’s theme by

the United Nations as the “year of sustainable tourism for development”, we felt it was

the ripe time to obtain Lynn’s perspective on the topic.

I am optimistic about the

future of sustainability in the

travel industry. Businesses will

increasingly take notice of

the need to be sustainable as

more customers demand it.

As millennials and the

generation behind them

get older, sustainability will

become an increasingly

important factor in travel

decisions. In addition, if our

government is not leading

in this area, more and more

people will be looking for

leadership from the private

sector, and sustainability

will become more of a

driver in customer purchase

decisions. There is no industry

better positioned to lead in

this area than travel. I am

convinced there are countless

entrepreneurial opportunities

to help businesses find

creative solutions to becoming

more sustainable.

Two areas that I think are most

critical to address are:




1. Lack of government policy, oversight

and business incentives that promote

sustainable tourism development and

address overcrowding issues. One

example of how to address this is

through business incentives to fast track

approval for tourism investments that

follow sustainable tourism practices, such

as training and capacity building for local

communities, environmentally friendly

practices, etc.Or through restrictions on

tourism levels such as those that have

been implemented in pristine places

like the Galapagos Islands. A fantastic

example of one individual making a

huge impact is the Pristine Seas project,

led by marine biologist Enric Sala and

funded by Nat Geo and others. Through

the programme, Enric has identified

more than a dozen of the planet’s most

unspoiled marine ecosystems where

there’s still an opportunity to preserve

them. Enric and his team go to the place,

study and document it, then make a case

to the government and local community

of the economic benefits from tourism

and other activities that can accrue from

protecting the area. To date, Pristine

Seas project has resulted in protection

of more than 3 million square kilometres

of oceans, including the Pacific Remote

Islands Marine National Monument – the

world’s largest marine protected area –

and the Palau National Marine Sanctuary.

2. Lack of private sector investment in

sustainable tourism best practices and

programmes, and the need to better

communicate commitment to and actions

around sustainability to help customers

better differentiate between providers. At

National Geographic, we created National

Geographic Unique Lodges of the World

to help shine a spotlight on properties

that were not only offering exceptional

experiences and service, but also were

innovators and leaders in sustainable

development. These are lodge owners

who recognised that doing good and

doing well are not mutually exclusive. In

working with our lodge partners, I have

been struck by the level of innovation and

creativity applied to finding sustainable

solutions. For example, Fogo Island: Zita

Cobb is a Newfoundlander who saw the

culture of Fogo Island disappearing as the

cod industry crashed and youth began to

leave to seek employment elsewhere. By

creating Fogo Island Inn, which is owned

by a community trust and steeped in

island traditions, she made the culture

itself a draw, and placed an economic

value on maintaining local heritage

through sustainable tourism. Guests

come to learn about traditional cod pot

fishing, how to build boats, forage for

wild food, make traditional dishes, see

local art and architecture, and experience

a way of life unique to the island. Lapa

Rios, in Costa Rica, helped to establish the

local school in its region, and now assists

nearly a dozen other schools on the Osa

Peninsula, working in partnership with

local organizations, and often receiving

donations from guests. At Grootbos Private

Nature Reserve in South Africa, the owners

spent years buying up degraded former

agricultural land, restoring the natural

habitat and reintroducing endemic species.

At Pacuare Lodge in Costa Rica, one of

the lead guides was once a top poacher

in the area. He was recruited intentionally

by the lodge owner, who knew that a

poacher would understand the jungle

better than most. Not only is that guide

now paid to spread appreciation for the

wildlife he once targeted, he also has

recruited other poachers to work for the

lodge. Other lodges have come up with

truly cutting edge sustainable technology,

such as carbon-free air-conditioning

that uses deep seawater cooling and is

powered by coconut oil at The Brando in

French Polynesia.

What is your “message» to the world’s

travel professionals and hoteliers in

this respect?

Embrace this opportunity to lead with

innovative sustainable solutions. Tap into

the ideas and creativity of everyone in

your organization. Do it now and you’ll

be building a solid organisation for your

company’s future. And do it now to

protect our industry’s greatest asset – the

places we explore

I AM

CONVINCED THERE

ARE COUNTLESS

ENTREPRENEURIAL

OPPORTUNITIES TO

HELP BUSINESSES

FIND CREATIVE

SOLUTIONS TO

BECOMING MORE

SUSTAINABLE

The Brando Island

NEWS




GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR SET

TO TAKE TOP ROLE AT WORLD

TOURISM ORGANISATION

Zurab Pololikashvili recommended by UNWTO Executive Council

for role of Secretary-General

WE ARE FACED

WITH SOCIAL

AND CULTURAL

PHENOMENA WHICH

ARE RE-SHAPING THE

INDUSTRY, AND IT IS

IMPORTANT THAT WE

FURTHER UNDERSTAND

AND ADAPT TO THESE

CHANGES

Zurab

Pololikashvili

Ambassador of Georgia in Spain

The 105 th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, meeting in Madrid, Spain, on 12

May 2017, recommended Zurab Pololikashvili, Ambassador of Georgia in Spain, as a

nominee for the post of Secretary-General for the four-year-period starting January

2018. The recommendation will be submitted to the upcoming 22 nd UNWTO General

Assembly for ratification (11-16 September 2017, Chengdu, China).

A former Minister of

Economic Development

of Georgia, Ambassador

Pololikashvili was responsible

in 2009-2010 for overseeing

the country’s long-term

fiscal growth strategies, for

advancing foreign trade

and investment policy

initiatives, as well as for

promoting the development

of tourism, infrastructure

and transportation sectors.

He was instrumental in

launching an innovative

policy for the development

of tourism in Georgia,

prioritising the sphere on

both the government and

private sector agendas.

During Ambassador

Pololikashvili’s tenure as

the Minister of Economic

Development, through key

policy reforms, marketing

activities, improvement

of infrastructure and visa

liberalisation initiatives,

Georgia managed to

nearly double the annual

number of international

arrivals, from 1.5 million

(in 2009) to exceeding the

2.8 million mark by 2011.

Those reforms paved the

way for sustainable tourism

practices in Georgia and

poverty alleviation initiatives,

placing Georgia among top

tourist destinations in the

region.

In his statement of policy

and management intent for

the UNWTO candidature,

Mr Pololikashvili stated:

“The tourism sector is

changing dynamically: today

we are faced with social and

cultural phenomena which

are re-shaping the industry,

and it is important that we

further understand and

adapt to these changes.

New challenges require

new approaches and the

UNWTO has to adjust to the

upcoming encounters.”

He added that in this

light, “strategic changes

need to be implemented

on four fronts of the

organisation: internal;

external; socio-economic;

and sustainability”, adding

that these undertakings

will “bring the UNWTO and

the tourism industry to new

heights of progress”.

Mr Pololikashvili says

sustainability continues to

be a vital issue: “Although

we have had considerable

achievements, the issue of

sustainable development

remains a concern. We

have to achieve a higher

level of understanding of

sustainability, and have to

exemplify that development

is not hindered by

sustainable practices or

policies, and that without

sustainability at its core, no

development is worth the

trade-off.”

Other key points of Mr

Pololikashvili’s initial

statement included

continued integration

with the United Nations,

enhancements in

technology and its effects

on tourism, and a new

dimension of support at a

local level

NEWS

Opening Ceremony

International Year for

sustainable tourism

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM:

TIME FOR A GLOBAL COMMITMENT

UNWTO launches a series of initiatives to celebrate the International year

of sustainable tourism for development

With 2017 being officially

named the “Year of

Sustainable Tourism for

Development” by the United

Nations, the World Tourism

Organization continues to

announce new initiatives to

move the sector towards a

more sustainable future.

The UN’s 70 th General Assembly,

in September 2015, designated

2017 as the International

Year of Sustainable Tourism

for Development (IY2017),

aiming to raise awareness on

the contribution of sustainable

tourism to development among

decision-makers and the public,

while mobilizing all stakeholders

to work together in making

tourism a catalyst for positive

change.

IY 2017 aims to raise

awareness on the contribution

of sustainable tourism to

development among decisionmakers

and the public, while

mobilising all stakeholders

to work together in making

tourism a catalyst for positive

change.

In the context of the 2030

Agenda for Sustainable

Development and the

Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs), the International

Year aims foster a change in

policies, business practices and

consumer behaviour for a more

sustainable tourism sector.

One example was the recent

“Manilla Call for Action”,

stemming from the 6th

International Conference on

Tourism Statistics.

The aim of the conference was

to lay the groundwork for an

expanded statistical framework

to measure sustainable tourism

in its economic, social and

environmental dimensions.

The outcome, a “Call for Action

on Measuring Sustainable

Tourism”, represents a global

commitment to sustainable

tourism and the need to

measure it through a consistent

statistical approach recognising

that effective sustainable

tourism policies require an

integrated, coherent and robust

information base.

“The Manila Conference

constitutes a milestone for

tourism measurement, not

only by extending the current

statistical standards beyond

their economic focus to cover

the social and environmental

dimensions, but because it

represents a global commitment

to sustainable tourism and a

recognition of its contribution

to the 17 Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) of

the universal 2030 Agenda

for Sustainable Development”

said UNWTO Secretary General

Taleb Rifai.

The Manila Call for

Action reflects the collective

vision and commitment

to collaborate on the

further development and

implementation of a Measuring

Sustainable Tourism (MTS)

statistical framework.

Sustainable tourism is

understood as tourism that

takes full account of its current

and future economic, social

and environmental impacts,

addressing the needs of visitors,

the industries, the environment

and host communities. As such

it is a continuous process and

requires constant monitoring of

impacts

SMARTreport Commercial Content

EVENTS




VIRTUOSO TRAVEL WEEK

The ultimate luxury networking event back

in Las Vegas

Held in Las Vegas from August

12-18, Virtuoso Travel Week

is the ultimate annual global

travel community event.

Exclusive to the Virtuoso

network, Virtuoso Travel

Week focuses on the evolving

marketplace conversation

between Virtuoso advisors,

their clients, and preferred

suppliers, with advisors

making a “buying trip” on

travel purveyors, all network

partners, the event reached

new heights last year. With

9% growth in attendance,

a record-breaking 5,257

travel professionals from 98

countries congregated at

Bellagio Resort & Casino, ARIA

Resort & Casino and Vdara

Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas,

where they conducted a

staggering number of one-toone

other to be successful and

that Virtuoso’s function is to

facilitate by creating tools and

services that support each side.

Ultimately, though, Virtuoso’s

role is about fostering human

connections.

“Thirty years ago I brought

together Allied Travel and

Percival Tours to create a

vibrant, resilient global travel

complexity and ambiguity

(VUCA). Upchurch continued,

“In an exponentially changing

environment, we don’t offer

a rulebook. We believe in

principles, not protocols. And

we have four guiding principles

we believe will anchor our

future: ensure success for our

agency members, make it

personal for both our partners

and their clients, pioneer and

innovate, and tell the advisor

story again and again”

behalf of their clientele.

Virtuoso Travel Week features

hundreds of thousands of

hours of personal networking

between Member Agency and

Preferred Partner attendees,

extensive professional

development opportunities

and a celebration of Virtuoso,

the world’s top luxury travel

network.

Much akin to Fashion Week,

where travel buyers seek out

the latest in luxury experiences

by meeting with thousands of

meetings – over 320,000 of

them, totalling more than 1.5

million meeting minutes or the

equivalent of 2.9 years.

The end goal for this

global gathering: building

relationships that lead to better

traveller experiences. During

the 2016 Opening Ceremony,

Virtuoso Chairman and CEO

Matthew D. Upchurch recalled

his philosophy that led to the

creation of Virtuoso: a firm

belief that travel agencies

and suppliers need each

network focused not solely on

transactions, but on catalysing

rich human experiences,” said

Upchurch. Drawing upon the

message shared by the event’s

keynote speaker, “Grit to

Great” author and head of

one of the leading advertising

agencies in America Linda

Kaplan Thaler, Upchurch

spoke about the scenario that

is helping propel success for

its travel agency members: the

desire for authentic human

connections in a world plagued

with volatility, uncertainty,

WE

BELIEVE IN

PRINCIPLES,

NOT

PROTOCOLS.

The Bellagio Hotel, Las

Vegas: “The heart of the

action” for the Virtuoso

travel week - 2008 -

Patrick Pelster




2016 IFTM Top Resa

THE TOP INDUSTRY EVENT IN THE

WORLD’S CAPITAL OF TOURISM

Paris plays host to IFTM Top Resa – THE meeting place

for travel & tourism professionals this September

IFTM Top Resa is a 4-day

international tourism industry

show held in Paris that attracts

everyone involved in outbound

tourism (foreign local partners,

hospitality providers, foreign

destinations, transport

operators, tour operators,

technology developers, etc.).

At the heart of Paris, the

world capital of tourism, this

complementarity makes it

possible to combine French

and worldwide tourism offers

in one unique venue.

For its 39 th edition, IFTM Top

Resa will gather all players of

the tourism industry from 26 th

to 29 th September 2017, in

Paris at Parc des Expositions,

Porte de Versailles, Hall 1. IFTM

Top Resa is 31,000 professional

visitors and more than 1,600

brands.

IFTM Top Resa is the only event

in France to offer multiple

target markets (leisure,

business and MICE) with a

dedicated programme for

each and a comprehensive

experience for trade visitors.

The jointly-held 2-day MAP

Pro French tourism industry

show attracts all those involved

in inbound tourism (hospitality

providers, caterers, historic

monuments, tourist offices,

regional tourism committees,

French local partners, etc.).

These complementary,

synergistic shows provide

unique access to the entire

French and International

tourism B2B product range.

The Travel Agents Cup is a

competition to find the best

travel agent in France. This

IFTM TOP RESA:

BREAKDOWN

OF EXHIBITORS

BY SECTOR

event promotes the profession

with an awards ceremony.

All travel agents in mainland

France can enter. The 2016

best French Travel Agent will

be elected on September 22 nd ,

during IFTM Top Resa.

Founded in 1978, the trade

show originally known as “Top

Resa” was held in Deauville

and was specialised in the

leisure travel segment. In 2008,

after a major overhaul and a

relocation to Paris, its name

changed to “IFTM Top Resa”.

This year, yet again, Cleverdis

will be producing the official

show daily, “IFTM Daily” – the

“voice of the show”, dealing

with topics of interest to all

players, with spotlights on

the top industry figures from

around the globe. Content is

designed to be highly relevant

and useful for trade visitors &

press, helping them to set their

show agenda and define their

priorities, as well as giving them

the “big picture” with market

data and leaders’ strategies

For more information:

iftmdaily.com

International DMCs 33 %

Hotels 18 %

International destinations 15 %

Transport operators 13 %

(airlines – rail companies – ferries – cruise companies – rental cars)

French tour operators and French DMCs 7 %

Technology – service suppliers – GDS 4 %

Excursions – guided tours – Shopping 2 %

Associations – Syndicates – Institutions 1 %

Other 7 %

EVENTS

HTNG EXPANDS INTO

HOSPITALITY VERTICALS

Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG)

changes its name to Hospitality Technology

Next Generation to expand within the

hospitality industry.

HTNG’s founding mission states: “To foster,

through collaboration and partnership, the

development of next-generation solutions

that will enable hoteliers and their

technology vendors to do business globally

in the 21 st century.” Now, the organisation

aims to broaden that initiative to include

other hospitality verticals as well.

Restaurants, leisure and entertainment

venues, active living facilities, gaming,

cruise lines and healthcare share similar

technologies and solution sets as hotels.

HTNG’s organisational framework has

already proven to be valuable in the hotel

industry. The association’s strategy of

collaboration and problem-solving has

great promise to help solve technology

problems and advance development in

these new verticals.

“The need for our solutions, standards

and best practices exists in these adjacent

verticals,” said Michael Blake, CEO of

HTNG. “We have the knowledge and

experience of how our association benefits

hotels and technology vendors; now we

can jump-start other verticals that are

facing similar challenges.”

Since HTNG already has active members

in these spaces, the next step focuses

on identifying and defining what these

shoulder industries need, and then

providing the necessary tools for success.

DON’T MISS THE HTNG

EUROPEAN CONFERENCE

The HTNG European Conference will take

place this year at the Prague Marriott - from

7-9 November.

This is a “must attend” event, bringing

together key industry decision makers in

the European region. Network with some

of the industry’s top experts, attend diverse

sessions focused on industry trends and

expand your business development

IFA - THE

WORLD’S

BIGGEST

CONSUMER

TECHNOLOGY

EVENT IN BERLIN

… a must when considering

in-room technologies of the

future

From 1-6 September in

Berlin, the world’s biggest

consumer electronics, home

appliance and telecom

manufacturers gather in

Berlin for IFA – the world’s

biggest show of its kind. This

is the ideal place to get a

glimpse of what consumers

will be buying and using in

coming years, and thus gain

a better understanding as

to what should be provided

in the hotel setting to make

people feel at home. In

addition, keynotes from the

likes of Huawei CEO Richard

Yu or Philips Personal

Health Business CEO

Pieter Nota give attendees

exceptional insights into the

roadmaps of the world’s top

manufacturers. The latter

will be explaining how

artificial intelligence, cloud

computing and the Internet

of Things will be key enablers

for personal health solutions

that serve people of all ages

at every stage of the health

continuum – from healthy

living and prevention,

through precision diagnosis

and personalised treatment,

and back to care in the home

where the cycle of healthy

living begins again

© Arabian Travel Market

IFTM Top Resa 2016

EVENTS CALENDAR

30-31 AUGUST, 2017

Tourism, Hotel Investment &

Networking Conference (THINC) Africa

Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront Cape Town,

South Africa

https://thincafrica.hvsconferences.com/

31 AUGUST - 1 SEPTEMBER, 2017

International Conference on Tourism

and Business (ICTB) 2017

Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and

Arts, Luzern, Switzerland

https://www.hslu.ch/en/lucerne-school-ofbusiness/forschung/conferences/ictb/

4-6 SEPTEMBER, 2017

International Conference on Cultural

Sustainable Tourism (CST)

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki,

Thessaloniki, Greece

https://www.facebook.com/

events/1686276518299711/

5-7 SEPTEMBER, 2017

Hotelga 2011

La Rural, Predio Ferial, Buenos Aires,

Argentina

www.hotelga.com.ar/

6-7 SEPTEMBER, 2017

MEET National 2017

Walter E. Washington Convention Center,

Washington DC, United States

www.meetconference.com/

6-7 SEPTEMBER, 2017

Tourism, Hotel Investment

& Networking Conference (THINC)

Indonesia

Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort,

Bali, Indonesia

www.thincindonesia.com/

6 SEPTEMBER, 2017

Hotelier Maldives Wellness Summit

Hulhule Island Hotel, Male, Maldives,

Male, Maldives

www.hoteliermaldives.com/wellnesssummit/

10-14 SEPTEMBER, 2017

PURE Life Experiences

Palais Des Congrès, Marrakech,

Morocco

http://www.purelifeexperiences.com/


22 nd UNWTO General Assembly

Chengdu, China

www2.unwto.org


The Hotel Show Dubai

Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai,

United Arab Emirates

www.thehotelshow.com


Customer Experience Exchange

for Travel & Hospitality

Hilton Syon Park Hotel, London,

United Kingdom

https://cxtravelhospitalityexchange.iqpc.

co.uk/


Bharat International Tourism

Bazaar (BITB)

Pragati Maidan Exhibition Grounds,

New Dehli, India

www.bitb.org


ILTM Americas

Fairmont Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico

www.iltm.com/americas

CLEVERDIS

PARTNER


IFTM - International French

Travel Market Top Resa

Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris, France

www.iftm.fr

CLEVERDIS

PARTNER


HTNG Insight Summit

North America 2017

Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles,

Chantilly, VA, United States

www.htng.org/page/2017_NAInsight

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under the legislation of 11 th March 1957 covering copyright. All brands cited in this publication are registered trade marks and/or belong to companies which are their

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ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS




© hunszabi

EUROPE STILL TOP OF

GLOBAL TRAVELLERS’

WISH LISTS THIS

SUMMER

A survey in June by Virtuoso

unveiled this summer’s mustvisit

recommendations from

professional travel advisors.

The love for Europe endures

and it factors prominently

on the list due to interest in

cultural trips. This summer

has been the ideal time to

venture to the continent due

to the low euro.

Topping travellers’ wish lists

this summer:

• A river cruise down the

Danube where tuckedaway

villages and historic

highlights converge in

countries such as Hungary,

Austria and Germany

• Portugal, a less crowded

and more affordable

option than other Western

European destinations

• Iceland, an emerging

destination popular for its

adventure and family travel

opportunities

• Peru’s Andean Explorer, the

new luxury train

• Ottawa, Canada’s capital,

to celebrate the country’s

150 th birthday

• The Galapagos Islands,

especially for trips with kids

Speaking of islands, in this

edition’s “elite travel trends”

section, we take a peek at

some of the hottest spots

to watch when it comes to

private island retreats!

Budapest, Hungary

ITB Asia 2017 Key Conference Speakers

Jane Sun

CEO

Ctrip.com International, Ltd

Tony Menezes

Vice President, Industrial

and Distribution Sectors

IBM Asia Pacific

Rob Torres

Managing Director of

Advertising and Marketing

Google

Ike Anand

Vice President, Strategy and

Business Development

Expedia group

Min Yoon

Founder & CEO

Tidesquare

Buhdy Bok

President

Carnival Asia

Sean Treacy

Managing Director, Asia Pacific

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd

Eugene Tan

General Manager

CTM Singapore

Maunik Thacker

Senior Vice President – Marketing

Marina Bay Sands Pte. Ltd.

Rom E. Hendler

Founder and Managing Partner

InnoVel

Jeannette Ho

Vice President, Raffles Brand &

Strategic Relationships

AccorHotels Luxury Division


SMARTreport #34

2017 Spring Edition 19

In The Field

with evelyne gaudin

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

PART 3

PRIVATE ISLAND RESORTS

AND NATURAL WONDERS

TRENDING

DESTINATIONS

WHEN IT COMES

TO REALLY

GETTING AWAY

FROM IT ALL

Since 1989, Evelyne Gaudin has

been impassioned with travel –

working in every aspect of the

industry – in airlines, hotels, cruises,

TO and advisory roles, with a

desire to “always deliver the best

experience”.

In this feature, she reveals her top

tips for private island resorts and

natural wonders of the world.

On Private Island Resorts…

What we are primarily seeing in the

US is that the Maldives has really

taken over a lot of the romantic island

destinations market share, in spite

of the distance and the fact that it is

expensive. Why ? Because It’s new,

it’s trendy, it’s beautiful, and the

service is impeccable. The request

have grown and continue to do so.

A number of people like that

because it gives them

“bragging rights”.

For the honeymoon

market, which is a big

market for private

island resorts, the

Maldives have

definitely taken

market share from a

lot of other destinations.

In the Maldives, we can

find some absolutely exquisite

resorts, surpassing anything

we’ve seen in the past. They took

the example of French Polynesia

with the over-water bungalows, and

they’ve taken it ten steps further.

The Six Senses resort is one worth

mentioning, but another favourite

is the Gili Lankanfuschi, which is an

absolute delight. These two have really

taken over the high-end market.

On Natural Wonders…

The Great Barrier Reef remains one of

the top ones on people’s bucket lists,

especially for people who like diving.

But a destination that is really in

demand is Antarctica. The Arctic and

PATAGONIA AND

CHILE ARE OTHER

FAVOURITES, AS PEOPLE

INCREASINGLY SEEK

PLACES “OFF THE

BEATEN TRACK”.

Iceland are also growing very fast. The

hike in demand for Iceland is so great

that prices have gone up 50% in one

year. It’s extremely easy to get there,

very friendly. Even though they don’t

have 5-star properties, everyone wants

to go to Iceland. Many want to see the

aurora borealis, meaning they have to

go in winter time. Alaska is less “hip”,

so everyone wants to go to Iceland,

and even Finland or the top end

of Norway. New programmes

are being launched,

including a new cruise

that circumnavigates

Iceland. The Blue

Lagoon is a big

attraction. Then

there’s snowmobile

treks, icetrekking,

ice-grotto

visits and exploring,

jeep safaris… the choice is

amazing. People go there for the

nature; they don’t go for museums,

restaurants or luxury hotels.

Patagonia and Chile are other

favourites, as people increasingly

seek places “off the beaten track”.

Patagonia is easy to get to, the beauty

is out of this world, and it’s easy

for trekking as the altitude is not a

problem, as opposed to places like

Nepal, which is extraordinary, but due

to the altitude and remoteness, it’s not

for everyone. Of course, a great choice

can be to combine a visit to Patagonia,

travelling down to Ushuaia, followed

by a tour of Antarctica

SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION

ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS

SECLUSION

REALLY GETTING AWAY

FROM IT ALL - IN THE ISLANDS

OF TAHITI

BORA BORA PEARL BEACH

RESORT & SPA

Poised on Motu Tevairoa, only a ten-minute boat ride from the

airport and fifteen minutes across the lagoon from the village

of Vaitape, the Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa combines

heavenly location and proximity to the mainland. While

overwater bungalows are Bora Bora’s iconic accommodation

type, the resort also features spacious Garden Pool Villas

and Beach Suites with jacuzzi and magical views of iconic

Mount Otemanu. The eighty rooms and villas are nestled

in a beautiful tropical garden, on the beach and of course

above the turquoise lagoon. The resort is set on beautiful

grounds where tropical flowers and old trees abound. With

no neighbours around, guests enjoy ultimate privacy and

tranquillity

LE TAHA’A ISLAND

RESORT & SPA

Located on the secluded Motu Tautau, facing the island of

Taha’a on one side and stunning views of Bora Bora on the

other side, the resort inspired by Polynesian architecture and

style hosts 57 beautiful suites and villas, three restaurants, a

spa, a Fitness centre, a tennis court, an open-air swimming

pool, a SCUBA diving centre and a helipad. Le Taha’a is the

promise of a complete change of scenery, a way of life of its

own, in harmony with its preserved environment, people and

local culture

The island of Taha’a, formerly called Uporu, is located in the

Society Islands (as are the islands of Bora Bora, Huahine,

Maupiti) and shares a same lagoon with the island of Raiatea.

There is something magical and poetic about Taha’a, and it

just seems like time has stopped, allowing each and every

one to enjoy this land of beauty at his or her own pace

TAHITI PEARL BEACH RESORT

Located on the North-East Coast of the Island of Tahiti, the Tahiti Pearl

Beach Resort is strategically positioned away from the hustle and bustle

of Papeete Town Centre and port (7km, 10 min), and a little further from

Faa’a international airport... Welcome…that is how you will feel when you

arrive at the Tahiti Pearl Beach Resort.

Spread over four hectares of exotic tropical gardens facing 900 meters of

the finest black sand volcanic beach sits this destination resort, on Matavai

Bay, famous for its historical site and recognised as the cradle of the royal

Tahitian family, and where today, visitors can create their own personal

experience…





LILY BEACH

VOTED

MALDIVES’

“LEADING ALL-

INCLUSIVE

RESORT”

Kepitu Restaurant in The Kayon Resort

ROMANTIC

SECLUSION IN THE

HEART OF BALI’S

TROPICAL JUNGLE

A romantic setting for an intimate

honeymoon, between nature and culture,

Ubud is a remarkable spiritual town in the

heart of Bali, a retreat for those seeking

peace of mind, clarity of thought and

inspiration in the arts, culture, dance and

music.

Kepitu Village is only ten minutes’ drive

from Ubud center, an exotic destination

for heritage, spiritual healing and a cultural

holiday experience. Kepitu village has a

wealth of historic heritage and ancient

temples. Kepitu’s Telaga Waja temple

was built in the 10 th century as a place

of Meditation for Buddha Kasogatan and

followers, and has now become a place

for purifying rituals and blessings.

THE KAYON RESORT

Set in a stunning jungle landscape next

to a river, the Kayon resort has a healing

atmosphere and romantic ambiance. The

resort features six valley deluxe rooms

with jungle views on the two-storey north

wing, twelve Kayon river suites in threefloor

south wing with views down to

river and five river edge private pool villas

with thatched roofs, each enhanced by its

infinity pool overlooking the river.

TRUE BALINESE

HOSPITALITY

Everyone is welcomed as a family and

friend coming home. The Kayon resort

is managed by Pramana Hospitality

Management who is committed to

delivering the genuine Balinese “TAT

WAM ASI”.

THE ROOMS

Rooms are designed in contemporary

Balinese style using local stone, bamboo,

white washed furniture decorated with

woven rattan to blend with nature and

create classic yet romantic impression.

Featuring bamboo ceiling, comfortable

beds with soft cotton linens and mosquito

net, classic Balinese Kamasan Ramayana

series paintings and recycled artworks.

Private balcony or terrace and spacious

bath with shower and Kayon signature

terrazzo bath tub overlook the jungle.

Numerous activities are proposed by the

resort, or guests can just “chill” at the

spa!

Lily Beach Resort & Spa at

Huvahendhoo, Maldives, has,

for the second consecutive

year, been crowned the

“Maldives’ Leading All-

Inclusive Resort” at the World

Travel Awards 2017.

Lily Beach has a global

reputation for its pristine

beaches, lush tropical

vegetation and its exotic house

reef just few meters away from

the shore.

Besides devoting full time to

floating in the balmy Indian

Ocean or pampering oneself at

the Tamara Spa, there are still

plenty of relaxation options

at the visitor’s disposal. Be it a

restful holiday, or a celebration

of love, Lily Beach Resort & Spa

offers truly affordable luxury.

ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS

A NEW TAKE ON LUXURY

IN ISTANBUL

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts officially arrives in the Turkish city with

the Fairmont Quasar

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has officially

arrived in Istanbul with the recent

opening of the brand’s first hotel in

Turkey, Fairmont Quasar Istanbul.

Rising above the slopes of the Bosphorus

and silhouetted against the modern city

skyline, Fairmont Quasar Istanbul serves

as a veritable hub in the heart of the

destination, uniting the sophistication of

new Istanbul with the unique lineage of its

location.

Set on the site of the 1930’s Robert Mallet

Stevens’ designed Art Deco liquor factory,

Fairmont Quasar Istanbul blends a sense of

urban culture and industrial flair with the

city’s storied traditions and a strong sense

of place. It is this notion that informs the

design of this “must see” hotel from top

to bottom. Conceived by US-based design

firm Wilson Associates, the interiors bring

Istanbul’s storied history and modern

lifestyle together, and each of the 209

bedrooms and 25 suites, along with the

Gold Lounge, offers a wide panoramic view

- over the serene Bosphorus or across the

city skyline.

The hotel sits at a crossroads of a culturally

rich city – where eclectic neighbourhood

bazaars and colourful side streets meet

modern shopping centres within walking

distance. Positioned within easy reach of

the city’s most important landmarks, the

hotel offers a true taste of the city for

leisure and business travellers – combining

the best of both worlds.

The Fairmont Quasar’s dining spaces

are designed with touches of modernity

blended with traditional Turkish culture

while the meeting spaces and Luna Ballroom

offer distinctive looks complete with locally

inspired artwork paying homage the

vibrancy of the destination.

REVITALISING

URBAN OASIS

The new Willow Stream Spa located in the

hotel is a 2,000 square-metre urban retreat

designed to capture this energy whilst

simultaneously providing a haven from the

chaos of daily life. Offering nine tranquil spa

suites, including two couples’ VIP suites,

combined with relaxation lounges, steam

rooms, saunas, ice fountains and an indoor

swimming pool opening up to the inner

garden, the spa is a stylish escape from the

hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Meanwhile, the fifth-floor swimming pool

is designed by world renowned designer

Marcel Wanders and is the coolest outdoor

pool in the city with its eye-catching

installations and golden trees in the pool

© Jesus Alonso

Presidential Suite

Fairmont Quasar Istanbul


ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS




© Luxury Wine Experience

© Luxury Wine Experience

A PRIVILEGED MOMENT

Château Pape Clément: the embodiment of fine French wine,

history, culture and gastronomy

In the image of Matthew D.

Upchurch, Chairman & CEO of

Virtuoso, we at Cleverdis are

convinced that “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.”

To this end, we are particularly

delighted to relate our

experience at Château Pape

Clément in the Bordeaux region

of France, because we believe

it is undoubtedly one of those

magical places where this

assertion takes on all its sense.

For lovers of Grands Crus, the

simple name of Bernard Magrez

evokes a legend, that of a

“man of 40 châteaux”, but also

and especially that of the only

owner in the world of 4 grands

crus classés in Bordeaux and,

according to some indiscretions,

perhaps soon 5!

What few know today is that

Bernard Magrez and his daughter

Cécile Daquin are also experts in

the «ultra-luxury wine tourism»

and that it is now possible for

some privileged travellers to

stay at Château Pape Clément,

the heart of the Magrez Empire

from where this exceptional man

pilots this exceptional ensemble.

Upon arrival at the château, one

is under the charm of the park

adorned with an extraordinary

statue of Christ on the Cross,

the first indication of an almost

mystical journey, the age-old

olive trees that have paid witness

to some of the great moments

in the history of mankind, the

garden, and the animals. This

first impression is confirmed

by the visit of the château’s

basement where one finds a

chapel and a reproduction of the

tomb of Pope Clement bringing

an historical dimension to the

experience. But it is once we are

in the château itself that the fairy

tale begins, with a dining room

adorned with Baccarat, St. Louis,

Precious Porcelains and original

works of art, and a suite that’s

more like a luxurious guest room

in a family home rather than a

“hotel” room.

Of course, experiencing such a

place implies a visit to the Cuvier,

the barrel cellar and the academy,

helping one understand why the

wines of Château Pape Clément

are among the best in the world.

As Château Pape Clément is the

HQ where Magrez works every

day, so this adds a very important

dimension to the feeling of

being extremely privileged.

The “Heart of the riches of

Bordeaux” offering, including

1 dinner, 1 night at Château

Pape Clément followed by a

breakfast and discovery the

next day of the Grande Maison

of Bernard Magrez (2 Michelin

stars) is particularly attractive for

the traveller with little time to

spare, but longer stays are also

possible

Château Pape Clément

Clos des Songes suite at

Château Pape Clément


ASIA PACIFIC




ASIAN TOURISTS

BOOST REGIONAL

TOURISM

According to an ITB Berlin/

IPK report, Asian travels within

Asia will continue to grow by

double digit figures this year,

supported by China outbound,

Japan’s outbound recovery,

the abolition of visas for more

countries (Korea, Japan, Taiwan,

India, etc.), while low cost

airline development continues

to stimulate travel in most Asian

countries.

The recent strengthening of

the Euro versus the dollar and

Asian currencies is likely to

further stimulate travels to Asia

and particularly Southeast Asia.

Indonesia is now expecting 15

million international visitors in

2017, up by 20% over 2016.

So far, the country has enjoyed

a growth in arrivals of 15% for

the first five months of 2017.

Thailand was Southeast Asia’s

no.1 tourism destination with 32

million foreign arrivals in 2016.

During the first half of 2017,

the country recorded 4 to 5%

more travellers, equivalent to 18

million arrivals. While Malaysia’s

tourism authorities target an

18% growth in arrivals in 2017,

helping the country to jump

from 26.8 million to 31.7 million

international arrivals, growth

should be more moderate

around 10%. This will help

Malaysia pass the 30-million

mark.

Some 24 million visitors arrived

in Japan in 2016, blowing Prime

Minister Abe’s original goal of 20

million by 2020, the year Tokyo

will host the Summer Olympics,

out of the ballpark. From January

to May, Japan already received

11.41 million international

travellers compared to 9.73

million for the same period of

2016. This represents a jump of

17.3%

Druk Wangyal Lhakhang, Buthan

ASIA PACIFIC

AIR TRANSPORT

APAC LEADS AIR PASSENGER

IATA predicts Asia Pacific will be the world’s fastest growing

Asia Pacific today represented some 1.3 billion passengers last year - 33% of all air

passengers in the world. And this number could reach 50% within 20 years according

to the latest forecasts by the International Air Transport Association.

The International Air

Transport Association

(IATA) continues to see Asia

Pacific as a major engine

to passenger growth. The

association forecasts 7.2

billion passengers by 2035,

compared to an expected

4.1 billion air travellers this

year. This is based on a 3.7%

annual Compound Average

Growth Rate (CAGR) noted

in the release of the latest

update to the association’s

20-Year air passenger

forecast.

The passenger growth

forecast thus confirms that

the biggest driver of demand

will be the Asia-Pacific

region. Asia Pacific is already

the largest world market

representing close to 33%

of all passengers (18.2% of

all international passengers

traffic in second position

after Europe). The continent

is expected to be the source

of more than half the new

passengers over the next 20

years.

China will displace the

US as the world’s largest

aviation market (defined by

traffic to, from and within

the country) around 2029.

India will displace the UK for

third place in 2026, while

Indonesia enters the top ten

at the expense of Italy.

Routes to, from and within

Asia-Pacific will see an extra

1.8 billion annual passengers

by 2035, for an overall

market size of 3.1 billion. Its

annual average growth rate

of 4.7% will be the secondhighest,

behind the Middle

East. For 2017, passenger

traffic in Asia Pacific is

likely to be primarily driven

by booming passengers

demand on domestic routes

from China and India.

Both countries have been

seeing double-digit growth

SINCE THE

BEGINNING OF

THE YEAR, THE

FASTEST GROWING

SEGMENT OUT OF

ASIA HAS BEEN

ROUTES TO EUROPE

WITH REVENUE/

PASSENGERS/KM

UP BY 11.7% ON

AVERAGE BETWEEN

FEBRUARY AND

APRIL 2017.

REVENUE

PASSENGER/KM

FOR ASIA

PACIFIC

% change to previous year 2016 Feb-17 Mar-17 Apr-17

Asia Pacific 9.0 6.9 10.3 10.7

World 6.3 5.1 6.5 10.7

India Domestic 23.3 17.0 14.9 15.3

Japan Domestic 0.7 1.9 8.1 6.6

Australia Domestic 1.6 2.9 0.7 2.1

Asia-Europe 1.8 9.5 11.2 14.5

Within Asia 7.3 4.1 7.0 7.1

Asia-North America 6.4 3.1 6.4 8.6

Asia-Middle East 9.0 5.7 4.5 10.0

SouthWest Pacific- North/South America 15.5 10.4 14.2 12.3

Asia-Africa 6.8 1.3 3.5 4.7

Source: IATA Statistics

Note: historical data may be subject to revision




GROWTH

market in 2017

in RPK (revenue/passengers/km) since the

beginning of the year. India’s domestic traffic

grew last year by over 20% and this is expected

to grow again by 15% this year. China will see

its domestic traffic growing between 12% and

15%.

Since the beginning of the year, the fastest

growing segment out of Asia has been routes

to Europe with Revenue/passengers/km up

by 11.7% on average between February and

April 2017. Asia-Middle East was second with

a growth of 6.75% and Asia-North America

with 6%. In the Pacific, the fastest growing

market is the segment Pacific to North and

South America up by 12.3% since the start of

the year. The average occupancy is expected to

rise. Last year, it reached 79.6% and rose during

the first months of the year to 80.9%, a new

record in history.

Passenger demand in the region is stimulated by

the growth of China’s and India’s middle classes,

the world demand for Asian destinations such

as Thailand, Vietnam or Japan and the fast

development of low cost carriers in the region.

Airlines are expected to report a US$31.4 bn

profit (up from the previously forecast $29.8 bn)

on revenues of $743 bn (up from the previously

forecast $736 bn). While North America will

represent half of all the industry’s profits

(US$15.4 bn), Asia Pacific airlines are forecast

to post a $7.4 bn net profit (down from $8.1 bn

in 2016), equal to $4.96/passenger. Asia/Pacific

airlines’ profits should be on par with those of

European air carriers.

Yields, however, are down by 3% to 5% due to

increased competition; but there are signs that

yields are possibly bottoming out

EXPANSION PLANS FOR

BANGKOK AIRWAYS IN 2017

Strong tourism and economic

growth in Asia helped lifting

Bangkok Airways results in 2016.

The last year carrier carried

5.6 million passengers, up by

9.5% over 2015 while its net

profit reached US$52 million.

And according to Puttipong

Prasarttong-Osoth, Bangkok

Airways President, perspectives

look excellent for 2017. The carrier

projects a growth in passengers of

over 12% while the airline load

factor could reach 72%: three

percentage points higher than in

2016.

The airline will add five Airbus

A319 and ATR72s to its fleet and

further grow its network from

its three main hubs of Bangkok

Suvarnabhumi, Samui and Chiang

Mai. According to Prasarttong-

Osoth, new non-stop services

should this year start from Chiang

Mai to Vientiane (Lao PDR)

and to Bagan (Myanmar) while

Bangkok will be linked to Nakhon

Ratchasima (Thailand) and Phu

Quoc (Vietnam).

KOREA’S INCHEON

AIRPORT INTRODUCES

ROBOT GUIDES

This summer, Incheon airport

began featuring some “new

faces” in the form of robots – to

help passengers find their way.

The Airport Guide Robot, designed

by LG Electronics, is an intelligent

information assistant for travellers,

answering questions in four

languages: English, Chinese,

Japanese and Korean. It offers

directions to destinations inside

the airport, along with estimated

distances and walking times,

and can even escort lost or late

travellers to their gates, or any

other airport location.

ASIA PACIFIC INBOUND

TRENDS & FIGURES

ROSY PERSPECTIVES FOR

Trends in hotel development in the Far East – with key statistics

According to the UNWTO, international

arrivals to Asia grew by 8% last year,

fuelled by strong demand from both

intra- and interregional source markets.

For 2017, UWTO forecasts that Asia

should see growth in arrivals by 5%.

This provides good perspectives for

hoteliers, especially international

groups.

The deceleration in the growth rate in

arrivals to Asia is mostly due to a slowdown

in growth from the Chinese outbound

market, which is entering a maturing

phase. However, this could be profitable

for China’s domestic travel demand thanks

to a weakening Yuan and to the measures

to dampen consumption adopted by the

government to avoid an overheating of

the economy. While international travel

consumption from China is slowing,

regional destinations such as Malaysia,

Thailand or Korea are likely to remain

attractive for Chinese consumers, thanks

to their proximity, low air fares and value

in packages.

All segments of the travel industry continue

to expand to fill up the demand for business

and leisure travel of a growing middle class

and boosting business and leisure travel.

Simplified visa formalities in many Asian

countries (Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar or

SHANGHAI

TOKYO

Among China

top metropolises,

Shanghai continues

to attract

international

investors. According

to Colliers, RevPAR

in Shanghai has

increased steadily,

despite the high

room supply the

city is expected to

witness over the

next five years.

Colliers estimated

that 9,000 new

rooms are due

to be added in

Shanghai over the

next five years, with

over 23,000 in the

pipeline

Pearl Tower Detail

Shanghai, China

Another strong growing

destination in Northeast Asia

is Tokyo, with international

arrivals boosted by the easing

of visa formalities, as well as the

opening of Japanese skies to

low cost carriers. In 2015, Tokyo

attracted 11.8 million overnight

visitors, who stayed 67.8m

nights while domestic travellers

generated to the Japanese

capital some 150 million trips.

Occupancy rates in hotels are at

record level at over 90%.

According to Colliers, RevPAR

has grown on average by

10.6% annually between

2011 and 2015. It reached

JPY14,651 in 2015, versus JPY

9,720 in 2011 and topped JPY

15,000 in 2016. As Tokyo will

play host to the 2020 Summer

Olympics, demand for the

Japanese capital will remain

high with international investors

continuing to boost their

presence in Japan

© AIRABUS S.A.S. 2014 - photo by master films / P. MASCLET

© China Tours Hamburg

Sakura, Chidorigafuchi

Moat, Tokyo Imperial

Palace, Tokyo, Japan

© Arashiyama




HOTELIERS IN ASIA

from top analysts

Vietnam among others) are also stimulating

global travel demand.

Hotels are consequently seeing the benefits

of this boom in tourism on the continent.

In his report for the First Quarter 2017,

international consulting cabinet Colliers

analyses that hotels’ RevPAR growth in

the region is closely correlated to that

of economic performance and will then

stimulate intra-regional and domestic

tourism to destinations.

On average, in 2017, Colliers expects

RevPAR growth to continue to be impacted

by foreign currencies movements, the

further evolution of low cost carriers (LCC)

and the destinations they serve, together

with economic performance and consumer

confidence in key source markets.

The Chinese hotel market has witnessed

exponential growth in recent years and

changed to become more sophisticated,

especially as local owners secure

investments in international operators. After

growing mostly in Chinese metropolises,

international upscale hotels but also

international budget/middle class properties

are spreading into regional primary and

secondary destinations. Among cities

enjoying a surge in international chains

are Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou,

Kunming, Shenzhen, Tianjing, Wuhan,

Xiamen or Xian.

PHNOM PENH

PHUKET

In Southeast Asia,

Colliers identifies

Phnom Penh and

Phuket as attractive

destinations for

investors while the

market in Singapore

remains difficult

despite almost full

occupancy.

The Cambodian

capital is expecting

a flux of new

international

hotel projects

as restriction on

King Norodom statue and

two stupas, Royal Palace,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

ownership has been

overhauled while

“more transparent”

rules have been

now guaranteed

towards overseas

investors. Large

international events

such as the hosting

of the Southeast

Asian Games in

2023 are boosting

the development

of international

properties

© Marcin Konsek

Phuket is now in full swing

as demand increased strongly

after years of political

turmoil in Thailand. Phuket

witnessed a total number of

9.3 million tourists arrivals

who generated 40.8 million

nights. RevPAR has decreased

on average by 3.8% between

2012 and 2015, mainly due

to the downturn in 2014,

in conjunction with a strong

increase in room supply.

However, recovery was in full

swing in 2016 with RevPar

up by 4%. This is due to

the return of Chinese and

Russian travellers as well

as the introduction of new

intercontinental and regional

flights.

According to Hotel

Consultant Bill Barnett, based

in Phuket, “the industry is

continuing to attract new

developments with more

brand affiliated properties.

A total of 5,584 keys are

expected to come on stream

by 2020.” Among brand

hotels planned over the next

three years in the island are

Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton,

Indigo, Intercontinental,

Kempinski, Mövenpick, Park

Hyatt, Radisson, Ramada and

Sheraton

The temple of Wat

Chalong, Phuket,

Thailand

© Pekka Oilinki


TRENDING DESTINATIONS

MALDIVES: AIRLINES STEP-UP FREQUENCIES

FOLLOWING QATAR AIRWAYS BAN

How could the recent crisis between Qatar and its

neighbours also have a ripple effect on Maldives’

tourism? The Maldives are among the Muslim

countries that decided to cut off diplomatic ties

with Qatar last June.

From January to May, tourism growth to the

Maldives accelerated. The archipelago received

575,000 international travellers, up by 5.8% over

the same period of 2016 with Europe’s market

share reaching 50.8% of all arrivals.

Until June, Qatar Airways flew twice a day from

Doha to Male with an Airbus A330-300 offering,

on average, a daily capacity of 500 to 600 seats.

However, its market share remained small.

According to the Maldives Civil Aviation, Qatar

Airways transported 77,000 passengers in 2015,

a market share of 5.1%. The airline remains far

behind Emirates (280,000 passengers), Sri Lankan

(273,000), Singapore

Airlines (132,000) and

two local carriers.

New flights are,

however, compensating

Qatar’s departure. In

July, Etihad increased

weekly frequencies

from 7 to 11; in

August, Thai AirAsia

launches a daily flight

from Bangkok. This

coming winter, Air

France will inaugurate

two weekly services from Paris, Alitalia will propose

three flights/week from Rome while Aeroflot will

increase its Moscow frequencies from 3 to 5 weekly

services

© Gzzz.

A Trans Maldivian

Airways floatplane to

the north of Bathala

island, Maldives




© Ahmed Rasheed Photography

© Ahmed Rasheed Photography

© Gzzz.

South side of Filaidhoo island

Deluxe Beach Villa interior

A stunning new 4-star superior resort is

set to open its doors in the Maldives in

November 2017: the Reethi Faru Resort

– meaning “beautiful reef”.

This tiny island of Filaidhoo in the Maldives,

situated in Raa Atoll, just 45-minutes’ flight

from Male, is surrounded by the most

stunning white beaches, coconut groves

and lush vegetation. The island measures

600 x 350 m and its stunning house reef is

just 30 to 80 metres from shore.

Special attention has been paid to the

design and location of each of the 150 villas

to give visitors the perfect stay. From familyfriendly

accommodations to perfectly

situated romantic hideaways, visitors will

find a fully serviced villa that meets their

needs and desires.

Set amid tropical vegetation on the east side

of the island, the Reethi Faru Garden Villas

are a collection of mostly detached 49m²

bungalows.

The Family Reethi Faru Garden Villas

(126 m 2 ), are semi-detached and especially

designed for families or groups of friends.

The Deluxe Beach Villas (64m²) have a

spacious sitting area that are ideal for

couples.

The exclusive beach-front Family Deluxe

Beach Villas have a generous floor plan

with 147m² and are situated directly on

the beach.

Detached Deluxe Jacuzzi Beach Villas (68m²)

are spread along the southwestern facing

beach. These villas make for the perfect

romantic getaway and offer pure relaxation.

The detached Water Villas sit on stilts over

the lagoon are a real calling card of the

Maldives. Enjoy spectacular views of the

ocean and the peaceful surroundings with

the natural sound of the waves lapping

below.

Two Water Villa Suites, with their 226m²

floor plan, are built on stilts over the waters

of the lagoon, enabling travellers to enjoy

a holiday in the superlative. If visitors are

taking a vacation with friends to celebrate

a special occasion, the Water Villa Suites

are unbeatable.

Whether it’s on the beach, in one of the five

gourmet restaurants or at one of the lively

bars, guests will find the dining experience

that meets their palate and mood.

BEAUTIFUL REEF…

BY NAME AND BY NATURE

Exceptional new resort opening in the Maldives

this November

Sustainability is at the heart of all

operations. Indeed, the management

is dedicated to protecting the island’s

beauty and the environment, through such

initiatives as alternative energy production

such as photovoltaics, heat exchangers,

biogas production or a sensitive garbage

policy




The healthy growth of tourism in Southeast Asia is due to a number

of factors. But one of the keys is in having reliable receptive

operators. An excellent example is Phoenix Voyages – run by a jovial

Frenchman, Edouard George; a key player in the local market with a long

background in the tourism and hospitality industries. We asked him what

his company’s focus is this year.

We are focusing this year very much

on our complete presence in the Indo-

China Peninsula: Laos, Cambodia,

Thailand and Myanmar, and we are

developing combined cross-country

and regional tours, allowing visitors

to go to anything up to five countries.

The authorities are facilitating visa

procedures, and regional airlines are

expanding their new cross-country

routes. Cross border tourism is very

much on the rise. In each country,

we have also developed six types of

“theme” tours. The first is based on

the architecture and colonial presence

Meanwhile, “the Land of the Morning

Calm”, more commonly known as

South Korea is still untouched by mass

tourism and offers varied landscapes,

plains and mountains. The country

offers a unique atmosphere blending

ancient traditions and unbridled

modernity.

Where are you mainly selling

product?

Our main clients are from Europe

and North America, with around a

third French speaking, a third Spanish

speaking and a third English speaking.

Edouard

George

President, Phoenix Voyages

A DIFFERENT TAKE ON SE ASIA

Exclusive Interview – Edouard George – President – Phoenix Voyages

in the regions, second is a culinary tour,

third is art and crafts, fourth is nature

– with walks every day to discover the

natural wonders of the region, fifth is

wellness, with a great focus on yoga,

tai chi, qui gong, etc., and mixing

with the local people… and the last is

religion and spiritualism.

What sets you apart from other

operators?

Consistency is a strong point. We also

concentrate on quality, so while we

may not be the cheapest, we pay a lot

of attention to quality, and thanks to

this we had 97.6% satisfied clients in

2016

Also, in January 2018 we have the

third edition of the Angkor Ultra-Trail,

on the archaeological sites of Siem

Reap in Cambodia. The new routes,

crossing varied numerous temples and

villages, from narrow paths through

dense vegetation, jungle, rice fields

(sometimes with water up to the knee)

and sandy tracks, already spiced up the

2nd edition of the Angkor Ultra Trail,

and the testimonies we received after

this race inspired us to continue.

Angkor Ultra-Trail,

Siem Reap, Cambodia.




MALAYSIA NAMED AS

OFFICIAL PARTNER COUNTRY

OF ITB BERLIN 2019

The Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and

Culture and ITB Berlin have announced

that the South East Asian nation will

be the show’s official partner country

in 2019.

Announcing the reasoning behind

the country’s choice of year, YB

Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul

Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture

for Malaysia explained, “Our longterm

target is to achieve 36 million

tourist arrivals and RM168 billion

(€37.1 billion) in receipts by the year

2020, based on the Malaysia Tourism

Transformation Plan.”

The official signing took place during

the recent ITB China trade show in

Shanghai between Dato’ Sri Abdul

Khani Daud – Deputy Director General

(Promotion) of the Malaysia Tourism

Promotion Board and the Head of ITB

Berlin, David Ruetz, witnessed by the

Minister of Tourism and Culture.

This promotional project is part of

a much broader plan by Malaysia to

increase awareness of the natural and

human assets of the country over the

next years. Kinabalu National Park in

Sabah, Gunung Mulu National Park

in Sarawak, Melaka and George

Town cities and the archaeological

heritage of the Lenggong Valley are

four of the UNESCO designated World

Heritage sites in Malaysia that will be

highlighted

Dato’ Sri Abdul Khani Daud – Deputy

Director General (Promotion) - Malaysia

Tourism Promotion Board (left), YB Dato’ Seri

Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of

Tourism and Culture for Malaysia (centre),

David Ruetz, Head of ITB Berlin (right)

MALAYSIA:

18% Y/Y RISE

IN CRUISE

PASSENGERS

Langkawi

Between January and May 2017, a total

of 253 international cruise ships called at

Malaysia’s 11 ports, indicating an increase

of 9.48% compared to the same period

in 2016. For the same period, the country

received 405,554 cruise passengers

compared to 330,473 passengers,

signifying an increase of 18.51%.

Affordable exchange rates, modern

infrastructure and facilities, warm

weather, friendly people, a stable

government, and numerous tourist

attractions that are easily accessible

from the ports make Malaysia the ideal

stopover for cruise line operators.

Malaysia’s cruise terminals such as

Langkawi, Penang, Port Klang and

Melaka are located close to local

attractions, offering cruise passengers the

experience of a big-city atmosphere and

easy access to ecotourism attractions,

beaches, authentic culture and exotic

cuisine. Food is a major attraction in

Penang and passengers can not only

sample the famous variety of cuisine

but also enjoy cooking lessons during

shore excursions. Meanwhile, the Kota

Kinabalu port in Borneo is a gateway to

the natural beauties of the rainforest and

orangutan watching which are popular

among many segments of the cruise

market.

It’s all part of the Malaysian Government’s

recognition of tourism as a key economic

area for the country’s growth, with cruise

tourism being one of 12 focus areas for

development over the next eight years



BALI:

MASSIVE

GROWTH

CONTINUES

As Bali continues to attract more visitors

year after year, investors continue to

add capacities on the Island, meaning

infrastructure and maintenance will

need to keep up with the pace!

Bali remains Indonesia tourism’s biggest

success story. In 2016, while foreign tourist

arrivals to Indonesia grew by 15.5% to

reach 12.02 million, Bali saw

total foreign arrivals jumping

by 23.6% to 4.88 million!

The island alone accounts

for almost 41% of all arrivals

to the country. According to

data for January-April 2017,

Bali recorded another 25%

jump in international visitors.

In a February report,

consulting cabinet Horwath

HTL expressed some

concern over Bali’s unabated

development. In 2015,

Horwath HTL recorded a

© DR

total of 335 hotels and more than 40,000

rooms with the opening of a further 12

hotels in the first 9 months of 2016 or

1,600 rooms. Until 2020, another 74 hotels

should open, a 20% increase over current

hotel stock.

Occupancy in the luxury segment was down

by 1% with ADR down by 4%. However

Upper Upscale (four star) performed better

in terms of occupancy (+5%) while ADR in

US$ remained depressed (-4%).

Horwath HDL underlines the fact that

“the maintenance of infrastructure and

the development of long-term sustainable

development goals are essential to ensure

Bali continues attracting people from all

corners of the globe”

Tanah Lot Temple,

Bali




© Tahiti pearl Resorts

Tereua Tom – known as “Tomita”, assistant maitre

d’hotel, who not only runs the Vanille Restaurant and

La Plage, but also has a certain talent and “penchant”

for dance. He is dressed in yellow, accompanied by

Thilda Tamahu and Lany Mou Kam Tse, both of whom

work at the restaurants as well as being highly talented

dancers, animating Polynesian evenings where singing

and dancing come as part and parcel with the service.

It’s something unique to these islands.

© Danee Hazama - Tahiti pearl Resorts

Polynesian dance show

IA ORA NA

A unique welcome awaits visitors to the islands of Tahiti

The legendary warm welcome given

by Polynesians has not changed over

the years.

From the time Captain Samuel Wallis

was welcomed with banana tree

leaves as a sign of friendship and

peace when he discovered the islands

in June 1767, right up to today, each

visitor who sets foot on the islands

of Tahiti is charmed by the welcome

given to him or her.

“Ia Ora Na”, “Maeva” and “Manava”

are the three words used to welcome

visitors.

Today, many of the traditional

rites are preserved. The spirit of

Polynesian hospitality is present

in all tourist establishments, whether

they be large luxury hotels or small

family hotels and homestays. And

nowhere could this be truer than at

The Tahiti Pearl Beach and Taha’a

Resorts, where one is “immersed” in

the local culture. Eager to present the

very best of Polynesian culture, Tahiti

Pearl offers numerous shows and

exclusive cultural demonstrations for

an unforgettable experience. From

weekly Marquesian and Polynesian

shows to handicraft workshops and

dance lessons, the hotel is committed

to making one’s stay something very

special and memorable.

POLYNESIAN DANCE

AND CULTURE

Banished in the past by missionaries,

dance is nowadays more than ever

an integral element of Polynesian

culture. The Heiva I Tahiti, organised

in July, is the occasion to watch

the performances of the greatest

dance schools and groups of the

archipelago. The Tahiti Pearl Beach

Resort offers regularly Marquesan

and Tahitian themed evenings with

exceptional dance shows and themed

buffets.

Le Taha’a Resort also pays homage to

Polynesian culture and traditions…

A buffet featuring Tahitian delicacies,

and international options, as a local

trio serenades visitors through the

night. Folkloric dances and a not-tobe-missed

fire dance highlight the

evening. Fire dance shows can most

of the time be seen only at festivals

or big events. Tavita, one of the

best fire dancers, also known as one

of the most tatooed men in French

Polynesia, performs at the resort

each week (weather permitting)!



TRENDING HOTELS

“PROUD TO BE

PUNCHING ABOVE

OUR WEIGHT”

Exclusive Interview - Dr Jennifer

Cronin, President, Marco Polo Hotels

Dr Jennifer Cronin has been celebrating numerous accolades and

prizes of late, including the “APAC Corporate Hotelier of the Year”

award at the BMW Hotelier awards. We asked her what qualities

make her team the “best”.

Marco Polo Hotels is a wellrecognised,

solid performing

group and we are very proud that

we punch above our weight in so

many aspects of our business. The

2016 BMW Hotelier Awards

acknowledged the performances

of our leaders and Associates

alongside our peers and even larger

hotel groups. It is a testament

to our belief in our leaders and

Associates that we can deliver on

our brand promise for our people

and guests alike. Our leadership

motto is to “Live Bold. Stay Sharp.”

and it is with this philosophy that

we are taking Marco Polo & Niccolo

Hotels to a new level.

Please tell us a little more about the

roadmap for Marco Polo Hotels.

Besides the Murray, Hong Kong, a

Niccolo hotel, we are very excited

with the forthcoming opening of

our second Niccolo hotel, Niccolo

Chongqing also taking to the world

stage this year, followed by Niccolo

Changsha in 2018 and Niccolo Suzhou

in 2019. Marco Polo Hotels is currently

undergoing an exciting evolution, as

we streamline support services and

processes. We recently announced our

new company name, Wharf Hotels,

management company for Niccolo

and Marco Polo Hotels, that will only

enhance our position in the field of

hotel management expertise

THE NEW FACE

OF MARCO POLO

HONGKONG HOTEL

Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel is uniquely positioned to

become Asia’s leading deluxe hotel for international

business and leisure travellers.

Situated in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, on the

doorstep of Star Ferry terminal and MTR subway

stations, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel has recently

completed a comprehensive hotel exterior upgrading

programme, since which Harbour View Rooms and

Suites are now available, enabling guests to enjoy

unobstructed panoramic Victoria Harbour views and

Hong Kong’s iconic skyline.

Guests are provided deluxe amenities, including

Nespresso coffee machine and the complimentary

handy smartphone with their own local number,

which can be used as Wi-Fi hotspot while wandering

around the city or to make unlimited local calls and

international calls to ten countries around the globe.

Centrally located on Canton Road in Kowloon, the

hotel forms part of Harbour City – Hong Kong’s

largest shopping complex, housing over 450 shops,

including the world’s leading luxury brands and a

myriad of dining options






Matthew Cooper

General Manager,

JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square, Seoul

Recently receiving TripAdvisor’s Readers’ Choice #1 hotel in

Seoul award, the JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square – Seoul

continues to strive in order to stand out among the top

properties in the region. We asked GM Matthew Cooper how

he sees the market evolving in Seoul today…

Seoul has always been seen as

a place that can support uberluxury.

The challenge that I have

seen over the past three years

used to wash their clothes

in the stream out the front

here. Then shopping centres

opened, then the JW Marriott,

global stage. The film has had

11-million views since January

19 th . The PR value is huge!

What would you say sets this

property apart in Seoul? What

are your top three “USPs”?

The first thing is the service

people experience. Because of

its size, I am able to treat it as

STAYING AHEAD

OF THE GAME IN SEOUL

Exclusive Interview - Matthew Cooper – General Manager

- JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square – Seoul

in Korea and Seoul is that just

because it was uber-luxury or

cool 16 years ago, doesn’t make

it cool and uber-luxury now.

People are far more discerning

and critical now. Another trend is

that areas that the idea of what

constitutes luxury is changing.

Everybody talks about Gangnam

style, but twenty years ago,

Gangnam was nothing; it was

just farms. It’s the same with this

area – Dongdeamun – it was

traditionally an area where the

older generation lived. People

the Dongdaemun Design Plaza

opened, and all of a sudden

luxury and fashion had come to

the city.

Please tell us more about the

production of “Two Bellmen

Three” - the film that was shot

here, and how this is going to

help in your promotion.

At the launch party one of

the things that impressed me

the most was the fact that

the Korean actors were so

proud to present Seoul on this

if this place was my home, and

also the associates’ home – and

that means they welcome people

as they would to their home. The

second thing is its location. It

could be compared to the meatpacking

district of New York.

And the third thing is the F&B,

which goes above and beyond,

and keeps growing every year.

The hotel is three years old, and

is always busy. It still has a feeling

of crispness about it, and despite

the fact this is a busy part of the

city, it’s a haven of serenity



TRENDING HOTELS

THE FRENCH TOUCH

IN TOKYO

First upscale brand to open in the heart of Tokyo for AccorHotels

Pullman Tokyo

guest room

With Japan’s inbound tourism booming, and the 2020

Olympiad just around the corner, we are seeing some very

interesting movement in hotel development in the great

Japanese metropolis.

said Patrick Basset, Chief

Operating Officer for Upper

Southeast and Northeast Asia,

AccorHotels. “The increasing

inbound market, especially

from Korea and other Asian

countries (China, Taiwan,

Indonesia, Vietnam) is on a

continuous positive trend

which will be amplified as

the country will benefit from

the worldwide attention with

the upcoming 2020 Summer

Olympic Games.”

JAPAN KEEPS

ATTRACTING

MORE AND MORE

INTERNATIONAL

TRAVELLERS,

WITH

HISTORICALLY

HIGH GROWTH

RATE RECORDED

IN THE

BEGINNING OF

2017

The Pullman Tokyo Tamachi

is being developed as part of

the MSB Tamachi mixed-used

complex and will open for the

fall of 2018.

Featuring 143 rooms, the

contemporary designed hotel

successfully connects the

international style of Pullman

with a delicate touch of

Japanese art and culture.

In Japan, AccorHotels has 12

hotels in its network across

Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo

and Okinawa. Brands include

Swissotel, Pullman, Novotel,

Mercure, ibis and ibis Styles.

The Group first entered the

Japanese market in 1995.

This new business and leisure

hotel includes meeting

facilities and unique dining

concepts. The hotel is directly

connected to the JR Tamachi

Station east exit and a threeminute

walk from the Toei

Subway Mita Line. From

the hotel to the Haneda

International Airport is about

30 mins by public transport

and just one stop from JR

Shinagawa station to Osaka

and Kyoto via bullet train.

“Japan keeps attracting

more and more international

travellers, with historically

high growth rate recorded

in the beginning of 2017,”

Pullman Hotels & Resorts,

AccorHotels’ new generation

of upscale hotels, is a

cosmopolitan brand that offers

hyper-connected travellers

a seamless experience that

combines contemporary

design and energizing culinary

concepts.

«The opening of Pullman Tokyo

Tamachi marks an exciting step

in developing more upscale

and luxury hotels in Japan to

meet the growing demand of

cosmopolitan travellers who

appreciate innovative design

and wellness in the travel

scene. The global nomad

is Pullman’s representation

of the new generation of

travellers and business leaders

who fully and naturally blend

work and leisure,” said Eric

D’Ignazio, Vice President

Japan, AccorHotels

ASIA PACIFIC OUTBOUND

TRENDS & FIGURES




© CSG-Info

Karva Chauth puja,

India

INDIA: ASIA’S NEXT BOOMING

OUTBOUND MARKET

WITH AN

AVERAGE

GROWTH RATE

OF 25% PER

YEAR, INDIAN

OUTBOUND

TOURISTS

ARE LIKELY

TO REACH

50 MILLION

BY THE

BEGINNING

OF THE NEXT

DECADE

While China continues to

catch most of the world’s

attention with number of

Chinese outbound travellers

hitting new records year

after year (over 122 million

last year), one would be

wrong to ignore the “other”

big Asian outbound growth

market: India.

India’s middle class population

was estimated at 267 million

in 2016. And by 2025-26

the number of middle class

households in India is likely to

more than double from the

2015-16 levels to 113.8 million

households or 547 million

individuals.

And this is not the only

impressive statistic about India.

It is due to rank among the

world’s youngest countries for

its population, and it is due to

overtake China as the most

populated country in the world

around 2022/2025.

All these elements point to a

boom in outbound tourism.

Currently, UNWTO estimates

that 20 million Indians are

outbound travellers. From that

number, according to a report

from Amadeus, some 40% are

travelling for business purposes.

With an average growth rate of

25% per year, Indian outbound

tourists are likely to reach 50

million by the beginning of the

next decade. Indian travellers

generally spend long holidays

when overseas. Trips to other

continents average 12 to

15 days. Indians are also big

spenders: on average, their

holiday expenses are four times

higher than their Chinese or

Japanese counterparts. Average

spending per capita for shopping

is around US$1,200 per person.

Honeymoons and wedding

trips are a big hit, especially for

deluxe hotels. In Asia, Phuket

and Bali are increasingly turning

into top destinations for Indian

wedding makers as ceremonies

in those islands are generally

cheaper and more luxurious

than in their own country.

Furthermore, contrary to China,

the outbound market is not

constrained by political or

societal constraints: there are

no travel restrictions on Indians

travelling abroad while most of

the middle class speaks excellent

English and is generally techsavvy.

Another factor is the

multiplication of flights

connecting India to the rest

of the world. Many low-cost

airlines connect now India to

Asia and to the Middle East.

Before long, it is expected that

long-haul budget carriers would

also connect the Indian subcontinent

to Europe. Last year,

some 99.5 million passengers

were recorded on airlines to and

from India. According to the

Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation

CAPA, this number should

rocket by 25% this year to reach

over 130 million passengers…

ASIA PACIFIC OUTBOUND

WELCOMING

THE JAPANESE VISITOR

Tips for how to make Japanese travellers feel at home around the world

Japanese people have long

been among the greatest

travellers from Asia. They know

the world and love visiting new

places. But much as this is the

case, their customs and habits

are very different to those of

“westerners”, and while many

accept our western lifestyle

while travelling, following are

a few tips to make them feel a

little bit more at home in your

hotel.

LANGUAGE

If possible, ensure all in-room

documents are also available

in Japanese. If possible,

invoices should be produced

in Japanese in order to avoid

confusion and bad feelings if

the visitor believes he or she

has been wrongly charged for

something.

HOT WATER

Japanese tourists love their

instant cup noodles, miso soup

and green tea, so it is essential

to provide them with adequate

facilities for this (electric kettle

etc.).

CLOTHES DRYING

Don’t be surprised if Japanese

travellers dry their swimming

trunks and towels on the

terrace. Japanese people

generally prefer to dry clothes

outside, for sanitary reasons.

SECURITY

In Japan, travellers are not used

to locking doors and hiding

valuables in a safe. The result

can be a “bad surprise” if

they leave cash and valuables

lying around in a western

property. If a theft takes

place, management should

take immediate action, and a

Japanese speaking interpreter

may be required to help the

victim explain to the police

what happened. Likewise, for

lost items, it is important that

when found, if the guest has

departed, the tour operator be

contacted in order to ascertain

how to remit the items.

EMERGENCIES

Ensure you have a Japanese

speaking doctor on call in

case of health or medical

issues. Failing this a competent

interpreter will be required.

ROBOTS

Japanese love high-tech.

A Japanese speaking robot is a

definite plus!

THE CLIENT IS KING

This tends to be even more the

case with Japanese customers,

who may appear to be overly

demanding with staff at times.

This is due to the country’s

status-oriented society,

where hotel staff are always

extremely subservient and

polite. Hotel management and

staff members should thus pay

particular attention to the way

they address Japanese guests.

If something goes wrong, and

the customer is upset for any

reason, management should

be extremely apologetic, and

the offering of a gift of some

kind can always help

INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES




© iStock Photo - NicoElNino

© iStock - chaiyon021

KEEPING

UP WITH

THE

PHONES

Key trends in the hotel tech

sector always tend to follow

hot on the heels of those in the

consumer sector. This is very

much the case when it comes to

the use of smartphones.

Today’s guests increasingly use

the smartphone as a controlling

device in the home, as it is at the

heart of the “smart home” – no

longer concept but very definite

and concrete reality. In the hotel

setting, the onset of apps is still

slow in coming, as guests tend

to shy away from installing an

endless number of new apps on

their phone. This is where major

groups have an advantage, when

“one fits all” can be used across

a large number of properties.

Indeed, the guest tends to use

his or her smartphone, laptop

or tablet for all transactions

nowadays, and hoteliers that fail

to keep up with the pace will

find themselves losing market

share.

In the next pages, we bring you

some valuable insights into how

the mobile sector is evolving and

how you can stay on the ball.


APAC CONTINUES TO LEAD

THE PUSH TOWARDS

A COMPLETELY MOBILE

TRAVELLER LIFE CYCLE

It’s no surprise that global travel companies

continue to focus on mobile growth in

Asia Pacific (APAC). With high Internet

and mobile penetration, travelers in

APAC expect faster and easier access to

travel, without being bogged down by

traditional payment methods. Unique

market dynamics force travel companies

to adopt local strategies that don’t work

anywhere else. Let’s take a look at why

APAC continues to lead the push towards

a completely mobile traveller life cycle.

While smartphone bookings soar globally,

some countries continue to blaze their

way as leaders in mobile travel. Asia

Pacific (APAC) leads all markets in

mobile booking adoption, according

to Phocuswright’s Global Online Travel

Overview Fourth Edition. The report

provides and compares total and online

travel gross bookings for six regions: the

U.S./Canada, Europe, Eastern Europe,

APAC, the Middle East and Latin America.

APAC mobile bookings are projected to

grow from 24% of the online travel market

in 2015 to 37% in 2017. That compares to

both the U.S. and Europe, where mobile

penetration is expected to be just 24% by

the end of this year.

Electronic wallets from companies including

Alipay in China and Paytm in India, mobile

payment solutions and call-to-book/partial

online payment options have opened the

floodgates for mobile transactions.

“In China, mobile-only discounts from

intermediaries are fueling smartphone

bookings among the country’s massive

subscriber base,” says Phocuswright’s

senior vice president, research, Lorraine

Sileo. “In India, online travel agencies are

aggressively promoting app downloads as

mobile has emerged as a new battleground

for intermediaries.”

ASIA PACIFIC TRAVEL

MARKETS HAVE THE

WORLD’S HIGHEST MOBILE

TRAVEL PENETRATION

With a rising number of Asia Pacific

(APAC) travellers having access to the

Internet and digital banking via their

smartphones, mobile will be the fastestgrowing

online platform

in the region. Combined

mobile gross bookings of

China, India and Japan will

reach US$105.9 billion by

2020, up 325% over 2015.

Phocuswright’s Asia Pacific

Online Travel Overview

Ninth Edition provides

market and channel sizing,

and aggregates gross travel

bookings of APAC-based

travel suppliers, covering 13

APAC countries’ leisure and

unmanaged business travel.

“It is no surprise that China, where Weixin

(WeChat), the world’s most advanced

mobile messaging and commerce platform

was conceived, also leads the mobile travel

revolution globally,” said Phocuswright’s

research analyst, Asia Pacific, Chetan

Kapoor. “Mobile share of the Chinese

online travel market will almost double

between 2015 and 2020 to 77%,

significantly dwarfing even the Western

mobile markets.”

In APAC, online travel agencies are at

the forefront of mobile innovation,

development, marketing and distribution

relative to the suppliers. In India, OTAs

accounted for 88% of the mobile travel

market in 2015, while their counterparts

in China delivered 60% of the market’s




Combined

mobile gross

bookings of

China, India

and Japan will

reach US$105.9 billion by

2020, up 325% over 2015. In

APAC, online travel agencies

are at the forefront of mobile

innovation, development,

marketing and distribution

relative to the suppliers.

mobile gross bookings in the same year.

OTAs will remain the major force behind

mobile bookings in APAC.

MOBILE TRAVEL SHOPPING

AND BOOKING ASCENDS IN

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Individual travel markets within Southeast

Asia showcase distinct shopping and

booking trends. While computers remain

the more popular device for travel

shopping and booking among Southeast

Asian travellers, smartphone usage is on

the rise.

Travel shopping via smartphones

has gained prominence in Indonesia

and Thailand. The relatively younger,

millennial population adds to the heavy

smartphone usage in these markets

vis-à-vis mature online markets such

as Malaysia and Singapore. In the past

12 months, more than one in two

Indonesian and Thai online travellers

booked travel via smartphone. Rising

mobile travel bookings in these markets

is also influenced by online travel

agencies publishing mobile-only prices

and discounts on their apps.

In contrast, travel shopping and booking

via smartphones are less popular in

Malaysia and Singapore. A relatively

consolidated supplier landscape,

particularly in the air segment, means

distribution status quo and limited

consumer incentives to shift from

desktop to the mobile channel.

“It’s no surprise that the millennials

are more comfortable with mobile

bookings,” says Phocuswright’s Asia

Pacific research analyst, Chetan Kapoor.

“Given the younger demographic,

Indonesian and Thai travellers have

been quicker than their Singaporean

and Malaysian counterparts to adopt

travel apps. Four in 10 Indonesian and

Thai online travellers used apps for travel

shopping during their last leisure trip.

The share of travellers using smartphones

for travel research and booking will only

increase in the coming years”

Mobile travel

shopping and

booking varies

from market

to market

in Southeast

Asia: In the past 12

months, more than one in two

Indonesian and Thai online

travellers booked travel via

smartphone. Rising mobile

travel bookings in these

markets are also influenced

by online travel agencies

publishing mobile-only prices

and discounts on their apps. In

contrast, travel shopping and

booking via smartphones are

less popular in Malaysia and

Singapore


© iStock - Lifemoment

THE ONSET OF

Scaling for different devices is key to success

What should hoteliers do to capture this

growing market on mobile devices? As

underlined by tech expert David Esseryk later

in this section, the answer is clear. Hoteliers

must deliver a customised, user-friendly

experience on these devices by offering a

desktop website, a mobile website and a

tablet website. Content must be scaled

down on a tablet site and even more so on

a mobile site (not to mention tablets require

highly visual content) – and the way users

navigate websites on these devices must

be considered (touchscreen on mobile,

touchscreen and swiping on tablets).

MULTICHANNEL “MOBILE”

WORLD (DESKTOP-

MOBILE-TABLET)

Hoteliers must now create and manage

content; store and distribute the hotel digital

marketing assets; and circulate special offers

and packages, events and happenings,

all through several distinct channels: own

“desktop” website, mobile website, tablet

website, social media profiles on Facebook,

Twitter, Google+.

There is a good chance that the same

traveller will try to access your hotel website

via all three devices.

It can be difficult to update one website,

let alone three websites. There is a growing

need for centralised website content and

digital marketing asset management

technology. Hoteliers need more than just

a simple website content management

system (CMS) capable of adding and

editing textual and visual content. They

also need a CMS that acts as a centralised

web content and digital marketing asset

management system and can automatically

push new specials and promotions to social

media profiles and mobile websites, as well

as present the digital content in the most

appropriate format for each device via

Responsive Design on Server Side (RESS).




MARKETING IN A SOLOMO

(SOCIAL, LOCAL, MOBILE)

WORLD

The convergence of social, local and mobile

(SoLoMo) initiatives allows hotels to deliver

more personalised, relevant content to existing

guests, in real-time. Social speaks to how we

share our travel experiences, mobile speaks to

our “always on-the-go” nature, and local speaks

to the need for information from our immediate

environment.

One of the best examples of SoLoMo in 2016 was

when Google “married” its local content listings

(Google Places) with its social network (Google+)

and made this content the default in its mobile

search results. By converting more than 80

million Google Places listings to Google+ Local

pages, Google achieved an unprecedented level

of dynamic, social content vs. static directory

content. For example, Google+ Local integrates

reviews from those in your circles.

MOBILE

SoLoMo is changing the way consumers access

information. Instead of researching attractions

during a hotel stay, mobile applications can

now detect a traveller’s location, what he or she

is looking for, provide directions, push specials

based on geo-location, and even allow guests to

share their experiences in real-time.

Hoteliers need to consider how to best utilise

SoLoMo to engage their guests and generate

incremental revenues. In addition to offering

a ‘location-aware’ mobile website, consider

engaging your local customers via time- and

location-relevant check-in promotions and

rewards, launching social media promotions,

contests, and post series via Facebook and

Twitter, and blogging. These types of geo-social

marketing initiatives allow hoteliers to integrate

with consumers’ lifestyles and connect (and stay

connected) with them in ways that were not

previously possible (and are great for time and

location-sensitive promotions).

THE RISE OF LOCATION-

BASED MARKETING

Location based marketing allows hotels to reach

their audience with a customised message

dependent on where they are at the time. From

encouraging check-ins to offering local mobile

coupons and deals, brands will continue to

incentivise social sharing and focus more on local

engagement. Hoteliers can accomplish this in

very affordable ways, such as adding a check-in

special on Facebook and Foursquare, or sending

customers a text message offering a discount

to be used on-property. SMS marketing and

geo-location offers should become key in how

hoteliers target travellers not after but during

their travel experience.

Before hoteliers even consider leveraging location

based services, they need to make sure that all

local content is accurate and optimised for the

search engines–this is where mobile directories

and mobile mapping services pull location

information. Mobile search engines favour and

predominantly serve local content; therefore,

hoteliers need to optimise their local content and

listings on the search engines (Google+Local,

Yahoo Local, Bing Local), main data providers,

local business directories, yellow pages, etc

Our thanks to David Esseryk

for his input.

© iStock - DeanDrobot

THE

CONVERGENCE

OF SOCIAL,

LOCAL AND

MOBILE

(SOLOMO)

INITIATIVES

ALLOWS

HOTELS TO

DELIVER MORE

PERSONALISED,

RELEVANT

CONTENT

TO EXISTING

GUESTS, IN

REAL-TIME.


LYNK HMS

REDEFINING THE

Samsung introduces six

Samsung’s LYNK Hospitality Management

Solution (LYNK HMS) elevates in-room

displays into single-source content

control and management hubs capable

of communicating with multiple on-site

platforms and servers. This integrated

management platform fosters more

efficient hospitality operations by granting

guests complete control over all aspects of

the in-room environment: IRC (Integrated

Room Control), EMS (Energy Management

Solution) and RMS (Room Management

System).

LYNK HMS connects to in-room devices

wirelessly over ZWAVE and ZigBee, which

covers a wide range of devices. One of the

strengths of this system is that it doesn’t

require hard wiring to the device like

conventional solutions.

Utilizing the TV as a gateway allows

the hotel to maximize efficiency by

implementing all three solutions – RMS,

EMS and IR (In Room Control) – through

one device:

• IR: Deliver home comfort for hotel

guests. One-stop easy room atmosphere

controller (lights, A/C, curtains...)

• EMS: Help hotels manage and save

energy by automatically turning off lights

or reducing AC level.

• RMS: Enable efficient and automated

room management

By consolidating a variety of services and

communication needs to a single system,

LYNK HMS helps hotels remedy guests’

needs faster and promote a more enjoyable

stay

Through a six-step innovation road map, Samsung is redefining

the hospitality experience and helping hotel customers identify

and implement the best display solutions for their brand, business

model and customer base.

Today’s tech-savvy hotel guests

expect cutting-edge in-room

enhancements as part of their

stay. These customers seek a

differentiated environment that

still provides a comfortable, athome

feel through access to

a variety of professional and

personal content, applications and

programs.

Samsung’s innovative hospitality

displays offer new and exciting

avenues for hotels to delight and

engage guests while improving

their own operational efficiency.

An intuitive interface gives guests

complete control of their inroom

settings while unlocking

unlimited opportunities to stay

informed and entertained through

a range of customised content.

Hotels likewise benefit from more

efficient communication and

personalised customer service

delivery without requiring a

significant infrastructure overhaul.

ENHANCED GUEST

DATA PROTECTION

To further maintain guests’ privacy

and protect their potentially

sensitive information, Samsung’s

smart grade hospitality displays

automatically delete use

histories, cookies and customised

application settings when guests

check out.

ALL-IN-ONE

CONTENT

NAVIGATION

Samsung’s hospitality displays

include a dedicated home menu

for seamless content delivery

without requiring external

devices or network infrastructure

installation. As guests arrive,

hotels can create and share a

brief welcome message and other

relevant stay information before

switching to live programming.

This convenient offering not only

allows hotels to reinforce their

brand, but also enables guests to

quickly view and navigate through

frequently used display features.

COAX-BASED IPTV

DELIVERY

As an all-IP solution equipped with

a CMTS server*, HE694 Series

displays are able to receive internet

without rewiring the hotel. Your

hotel can thus offer high-quality

IPTV without significant equipment

investment, while simultaneously

providing a more complete and

premium guest experience.

BYOC

(BRING YOUR OWN CONTENT)

To further extend guests’ content

viewing possibilities, smart grade

displays’ integrated Software

Access Point (Soft AP) and Screen

Mirroring technology allow guests





HOSPITALITY EXPERIENCE

step innovation roadmap

to enjoy their mobile content on a

larger screen with secure, private

wireless connections between the

central display and the mobile devices.

As a result, guests can showcase

mobile content on the larger screen

without interruption or distortion. By

the same token, through integrated

Bluetooth connectivity, guests can

stream music from their personal

devices through the smart grade

displays’ speakers.

This compatibility offers guests a

common at-home amenity while

serving as a cost-effective alternative

that keeps luxury hotels from

frequently replacing stolen or broken

docking stations

*Samsung’s hospitality displays do not include

a CMTS server.

LYNK REACH 4.0

Samsung’s LYNK REACH 4.0

solution gives hotels greater

visibility into and control over

hundreds of onsite displays

through a central remote server.

This all-in-one access elevates

hospitality displays into fullservice

hubs using existing

infrastructure – LAN, WIFI or Coax

– to minimize initial investment

on new infrastructure and

relevant management cost while

maximizing customer satisfaction.

for access to a range

of custom content,

applications and

channels. By implementing the

Samsung LYNK REACH solution,

hotels can experience advanced

features without purchasing

expensive STBs (set-top boxes). It

allows you to:

• Eliminate the manual labor

involved in room-by-room visits

to each guest room by using a

single-location remote solution

that saves management cost;

• Offer guests a way to easily

access content on demand with

an intuitive user interface (UI);

• Deliver information automatically

with service content through the

LYNK REACH Server;

• Lower total cost of ownership

(TCO) by eliminating the need for

extra equipment and staff


In The Field

with David Esseryk

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

PART 18

HOW NETWORKING

TECHNOLOGIES FIT INTO

THE HOTEL ENVIRONMENT

MOBILE APPS

What works in terms

of promotions, direct

bookings and CRM

In this edition’s regular

instalment from David Esseryk,

Chief Digital & Marketing

Officer (e-commerce, customer

experience, loyalty, brand

marketing & IT), SEH United

Hoteliers, the “in the field hotel

tech expert” takes a closer look

at the evolution of in-room

entertainment taking into

account the changing habits

of millennials and business

travellers.

Mobile is an important travel planning

and hotel distribution channel; a

channel that hoteliers must embrace

to be successful in 2017. One of the

most notable developments this year is

that the terms “mobile marketing” and

“mobile technology” really evolved to

include not just mobile phones. Tablet

devices such as the iPad, Samsung

Galaxy and Google Nexus quickly

became a significant part of the

travel planning and booking

process. To make matters

even more complicated,

HOTELIERS

MUST DELIVER A

CUSTOMISED, USER-

FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE

ON THESE DEVICES BY

OFFERING A DESKTOP

WEBSITE, A MOBILE

while mobile phone

and tablet devices

are considered

“mobile”

d e v i c e s ,

they should be

treated as separate

distribution channels with

their own respective marketing

initiatives.

Hoteliers that recognise there is a

need to deliver content tailored to

each device will generate incremental

revenues, steal market share from

competitors, improve ADRs and

RevPARs, and decrease dependency on

the OTAs in 2017.

When updating each channel, it is

important to remember that specialised

content is needed for each device.

The on-the-go mobile user requires

short, slimmed-down content with an

emphasis on maps and directions, an

easy to use mobile booking engine,

WEBSITE AND

A TABLET

WEBSITE

and a click-to-call property reservation

number. Tablet users require deep,

visually enhanced content about the

property and its destination. This is

one of the main reasons hoteliers

serve their desktop website content

on tablet devices today. However, the

desktop website cannot accommodate

the touch-screen navigation required

by tablet devices along with the highres

photography and highly visual

presentation necessary to display

the hotel product in a way that

users are quickly becoming

accustomed to on a tablet

device. The need for a

website designed

specifically for

tablets is clear.

Once all local

information across the web

is accurate, hoteliers should

begin leveraging the power of

location, activity, demographic and

time targeting.

In 2017, a hotel that only offers a

desktop website and ignores the user

experience on mobile devices will

experience a significant decline in

revenue year over year. Hoteliers that

implement the latest technologies and

best practices in each channel will

steal market share from competitors,

decrease dependency on the OTAs and

generate incremental revenues that will

improve the bottom line.

SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION

Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #35

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