THE PROFESSIONAL BUYERS’ REFERENCE
SMARTreport
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
#11 / TYING THE KNOT
TRENDS IN HIGH-END
HONEYMOONING
SPOTLIGHT ON
ASIA-PACIFIC
#21 / FIGURES ON THE RISE
WORLD TOURISM STILL DRIVEN
BY THE “EASTERN MIRACLE”
INNOVATIONS
& TECHNOLOGIES
#35 / NEW GENERATIONS,
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
MILLENNIALS & E-REPUTATION
74% OF GEN Z
BELIEVE A PREMIUM
HOTEL IS WORTH
THE COST
Audrey Hendley
President, American Express Travel
#43 - 2019 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 #43
2019 Summer Edition 3
3
FOREWORD
APAC IN THE SPOTLIGHT…
NEW DESTINATION IDEAS, AND KEY
INFORMATION ON INDUSTRY TRENDS
Welcome to the summer edition of the
Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport – focusing
this season primarily on destinations in
Asia-Pacific, while in our “Elite Travel
Trends” section, we take a close-up look
at trends concerning honeymoons, as well
as details of a new report by Ctrip on highend
Chinese outbound tourism.
The Cleverdis team has been spending
more and more time in Asia-Pacific,
following a specialised consulting mission
throughout last year with Tourism Malaysia
(TourMAB.com), and now as publishers
of the official show dailies at ITB China
in Shanghai in May, ITB Asia in Singapore
in October, and, coming soon, ITB India
in Mumbai (in 2020). This gives us an
interesting and more in-depth insight into
trends and news in travel and tourism in
this region, an area where trends, facts and
figures are evolving so fast it can otherwise
be hard to keep up!
We are also particularly happy to have had
a chat in this edition with Audrey Hendley,
President, American Express Travel, who
gives us the latest news from her fullservice
travel and lifestyle network.
And in our innovations and technologies
section, we spotlight Generation Z, and
how this fast-growing group of travellers is
changing the way those in the industry do
business… and communicate.
We trust these insights will be useful in
assisting you in your day-to-day business.
Happy reading.
4 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
4 TRENDS, PERKS, WATTS & NEPAL
Audrey Hendley,
President, American Express Travel
6 EVENTS
6 VIRTUOSOS OF LUXURY FLOCK
TO LAS VEGAS
7 RESPONDING AND ADAPTING
TO RAPID GROWTH AND TRANSITION
8 NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE PARTNERS
WITH UNWTO FOR WINE TOURISM
EVENT IN OCTOBER
9 24% RISE IN NTO PARTICIPATION FOR ITB ASIA
9 MESSE BERLIN (SINGAPORE) LAUNCHES
FIRST MICE SHOW ASIA 2019
10 EVENTS CALENDAR
11 ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
11 HIGH-END CHINESE TRAVELLERS
INCREASINGLY SEEKING “UNIQUE”
EXPERIENCES
12 IN THE FIELD WITH MARY GOSTELOW
FROM THE IDYLLIC TO THE UNWITTINGLY
BEAUTIFUL, THREE ROMANTIC LOCATIONS
IN ASIA-PACIFIC
CONTENTS
13 HONEYMOONING IN PARADISE
14 THE ORIGINALS, HUMAN HOTELS & RESORTS
16 PLAYERS, HONEYMOONERS AND LOVERS
OF FARNIENTE
17 ON LUXURY, SUSTAINABILITY AND
AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES
18 CORRECTING THE TOURISM TRADE BALANCE
19 CHINESE HIGH-END CUSTOMISED TRAVEL
20 THE EVOLUTION OF CHINESE LUXURY TRAVEL
21 ASIA - PACIFIC
21 APAC RIDING WAVE OF TOURISM SUCCESS
22 FACT & FIGURES
TOURISM BOOM CONTINUES IN APAC
22 RUSSIANS RUSH TO APAC: ARRIVALS UP 54.4%
23 THE PATA VIEWPOINT
24 NEW LINK… NEW HORIZONS
25 FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE EXPANDING
IN ASIA-PACIFIC
26 AIR TRANSPORT
KEY NEWS ON APAC ROUTES AND AIRPORTS
28 TRENDING DESTINATIONS
INDIA… AS INCREDIBLE AS EVER
28 ITB TRADE SHOW MAKES ITS WAY TO
THE SOUTH ASIAN SUBCONTINENT IN 2020
WITH THE INAUGURAL EDITION OF ITB INDIA
29 DESTINATION JAPAN
30 BUMI KENYALANG
31 TRENDING HOTELS
WHERE LUXURY MEETS MODERN ART
31 ENERGY SAVINGS THROUGH INNOVATION
32 EAST MEETS WEST
33 MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL BOLSTERS ASIA
PACIFIC LUXURY OFFERING
33 MGALLERY BY SOFITEL TO DEBUT
IN HONG KONG
34 OUTBOUND TOURISM
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL AND EVENTS FUEL
CHINESE TOURISM
35 INNOVATIONS
& TECHNOLOGIES
35 CHANGING TIMES, CHANGING GENERATIONS,
CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES
36 IN THE FIELD WITH DAVID ESSERYK
MILLENNIALS & E-REPUTATION
37 THE “TECH EFFECT”
38 THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE REVIEWS
FOR HOTELIERS
38 DIRECT TRANSLATION: THE BOOM IN
MULTILINGUAL BLAH-BLAH
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
TRENDS, PERKS, WATTS & NEPAL
Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel - with the
latest news from her full-service travel and lifestyle network
Audrey Hendley is President of American Express Travel, and as such,
is responsible for delivering premium travel and lifestyle services
to Card Members. With the growing importance of millennials as
a traveller group, American Express has undertaken extensive research in
this field, with the “Consumer Travel Trends” survey. We asked Ms Hendley
what the survey indicates about the way millennials are travelling.
Audrey Hendley
President,
American Express Travel
MILLENNIALS
ARE TAKING BACK
THEIR VACATION
DAYS.
Millennials are taking back their vacation
days. Through American Express Travel’s
research, they have found that 68% of
Millennials surveyed plan to use all of
their vacation days this year. In addition
to travelling more frequently, two-thirds
of Millennials also feel that the point
multipliers added by a loyalty program is
worth it to adjust their travel plans with
over half of Millennials agreeing that
they will limit their hotel options due to
a specific loyalty program. Millennials are
also willing to pay for a premium when it
comes to travel, with 25% spending more
on premium travel per year compared
to 18% of Gen X. Additionally, 67% of
Gen X and 66% of Millennials agree that
the experience at a premium hotel is an
important travel perk, and 74% of Gen Z
believe a premium hotel is worth the cost.
Do these travellers actively seek
“perks”? If so, what are they looking
for?
These travellers are looking to maximise
their time off, regardless of the length of
the trip and budget at hand. Our research
shows that these travellers are willing to
spend more for a better experience. About
half of consumers are willing to spend up
to $50 more on a $500 hotel bill for early
check-in or late check-out. Generation Z*
also love their free breakfast, with 3 out
of 4 willing to spend up to 7% more on
their hotel stay for complimentary breakfast
compared to half of the Millennials
surveyed. This is a testament to our perks,
as our Platinum Card Members receive an
exclusive suite of benefits at Fine Hotels &
Resorts properties when booking through
American Express Travel, with an average
total value of $550 at over 1,000 properties
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 5
5
Naomi Watts
© Getty Images for American Express
The Nepal Tourism Board and
Himalayan Bank to launch the
“Experience Nepal” campaign.
worldwide. These benefits include such
things as noon check-in, when available;
room upgrade at check-in, when available;
daily breakfast for two; unique amenity
valued at US$100, such as a food and
beverage credit; guaranteed late checkout
at 4 pm; and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Naomi Watts is a brand ambassador.
What has she contributed in terms of
her own tips for travellers?
Platinum Card Members can now earn 5X
Membership Rewards Points or use Pay
with Points on prepaid bookings of Fine
Hotels & Resorts properties—a curated
collection of 1,000+ of the world’s most
luxurious resorts, with an exclusive suite
of Card Member benefits—through
Amextravel.com. In celebration of this
new benefit, we teamed up with expert
traveller Naomi Watts to show consumers
how to make the most of their time off
by trading in the traditional three-day
weekend for a five-day respite; while
bringing the enhanced Fine Hotels &
Resorts benefits to life. Nearly 81%
of consumers agree that a three-day
weekend doesn't provide enough time
to travel, and 74% of consumers feel
more relaxed after a five-day weekend
compared to two or three days. A world
traveller herself, Naomi is an expert on
making the most of one’s journey --
from beating jetlag to packing with just
a carry-on. As an actress, travelling is
naturally part of her job. Whether being
on location or escaping for some muchneeded
rest and relaxation, she says a
stress-free journey is important to her,
so she has a couple go-to rules to ensure
things run smoothly. This is what she said:
1. Take advantage of travel perks:
Thanks to American Express’ Fine Hotels
& Resorts benefits like guaranteed late
check-out at 4 pm, I know I can be flexible
with my travel schedule.
2. Less is More: I stick to a carry-on,
which makes getting through airports a
breeze. I also never travel without my goto
staples, like a white button-down, jeans
and sneakers, which are versatile for day
and night.
3. Save Room for Souvenirs: I love to
buy a small reminder of my trip wherever
I go, so I always make sure to leave a little
room in my carryon.
4. Keep Moving: One of my top tricks for
avoiding jet lag is to try and get as much
sleep as I can on the flight and hit the
ground running once I land. Additionally,
I work to stay hydrated and avoid caffeine.
5. Indulge in “Me Time”: Long flights
don’t have to be daunting. It’s not often
that I get uninterrupted time for myself, so
when not sleeping, I love to catch up on
movies, read scripts and respond to emails.
Nepal is a new focus for American
Express, with a specific campaign
WE TEAMED
UP WITH EXPERT
TRAVELLER NAOMI
WATTS TO SHOW
CONSUMERS HOW TO
MAKE THE MOST OF
THEIR TIME OFF (…)
promoting tourism in this destination.
Can you tell us a little about this?
For more 100 years, American Express
has helped our customers see the world
through premium travel services and
experiences. Nepal is without a doubt one
of the most beautiful places to see in Asia
and we’re thrilled to be partnering with
The Nepal Tourism Board and Himalayan
Bank to launch the “Experience Nepal”
campaign. This global campaign aims to
promote Nepal as an international tourist
destination offering unique, authentic
experiences for American Express Card
Members across the globe. As part of
this exclusive partnership, American
Express Card Members can access special
privileges, value adds and discount offers
at over 80+ merchants across Nepal who
are participating in this campaign
*Generation Z = 18- to 21-year-olds
EVENTS
(...) IF YOU DON’T ASK WHAT WENT
WELL AND WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE
ETC., THEN THAT’S NOT A RELATIONSHIP,
THAT’S JUST A TRANSACTION.
Matthew Upchurch
CEO, Virtuoso
VIRTUOSOS OF LUXURY FLOCK
TO LAS VEGAS
The ultimate annual global travel community event sets key trends
for elite travellers
The elite of the luxury
travel industry will be
back in Las Vegas this
August for the exclusive
Virtuoso Travel Week,
from 10-16 August.
With 1,000 agency locations
in over 50 countries, the
number of Virtuoso advisors
has grown organically by over
126% over the past five or
six years, while the number
of high net worth clients has
grown 156%. Virtuoso clients
spend US$128,000 per annum
on travel, with, on average,
8.2 trips per year. Average
air ticket spend is US$5,650
per flight, and average daily
spend is US$1,735. Virtuoso
clients spend, on average,
three times more than an
average client on hotels and
tours, and four times more on
cruises.
SUSTAINABILITY AT HEART OF OFFERING
Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch constantly
underlines the importance of sustainability
among his ranks: “We feel that travel
advisors can play a role in elevating the
conversation around sustainability,” stated
Upchurch at last year’s meeting, adding,
“We have awarded sustainability prizes
for almost nine years now here at Virtuoso
Travel Week, for hotels and for individual
companies. Those of us who have been in
this business for a long time have literally
watched what some of these partners do
that is just beyond amazing. We have been
awarding that for a while. The outcome of
the whitepaper that was published already
last year was very simple: How can Virtuoso
make sustainability a greater factor – not
the only factor by any means… How can we
make it a greater factor in consumer choice?
It’s that simple.”
The single thing consumers tell Virtuoso,
according to Upchurch, that differentiates, in
their mind, a transactional travel agent from a
truly trusted advisor is the conversation after
the trip: “If you don’t have a conversation
with me after the trip; if you don’t ask what
went well and what would you change
etc., then that’s not a relationship, that’s
just a transaction’. That has been growing
organically. It’s been a dream of mine for
10 years, and over the past year and a half
we’ve invested a huge amount of our R&D.
We are working on a platform that takes
what has been happening organically and
marries fun technology (kind of think of
Netflix), with great purposeful discussions
with consumers, to help extract meaningful
conversations about what people want to do
in the future, and make it a much more fun,
seamless and scalable process.”
Of course, he was talking about the recently
announced Virtuoso platform, Orchestrator.
No doubt, we will hear a lot more about
the platform at this year’s event. Watch this
space
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 7
7
RESPONDING AND ADAPTING
TO RAPID GROWTH AND TRANSITION
Second annual Xianghu Dialogue of WTA to plot ongoing
roadmap for industry
The World Tourism Alliance (WTA) is
planning its second annual Xianghu
Dialogue in Hangzhou, China on
Sept. 18-21, 2019.
This year's Dialogue will focus on "Today's
Travel & Tourism Industry: Responding
& Adapting to Rapid Growth and
Transition." Important topics include
global travel & tourism developments
and trends; destination marketing and
big data, technology advancement &
industries innovation and many more
relevant issues and challenges facing the
industry will be addressed in collaboration
with the UNWT), World Bank, European
Tourism Commission, Global Tourism
Economic Forum and the Pacific Asia Travel
Association.
Founded in September 2017, WTA is still a
very young organisation, but its Secretary
General, Shijun Liu says its DNA is truly
global: “The world tourism industry has
expanded exponentially in keeping with
the rapid developments in technology and
high-efficiency distribution channels. The
Internet of Things (IoT) has turned the
tourism industry into an economic force,
facilitating the marketing of travel products
and offers between travel providers/
suppliers and travellers across the world in
real time,” states Mr Liu, adding, “This has
resulted, among others, in a surge in the
number of incremental travellers in Asia
Pacific compared to the more established
and conventional regions.”
China has become the world’s number one
source of outbound travellers, significantly
contributing to the growth of international
tourism revenue. More importantly,
Chinese travellers have become the
most sought-after market segment by
destinations throughout the world. Chinaready
programmes that cater exclusively to
Chinese travellers have been adopted by
tourism offices, hotels, shopping outlets,
museums and entertainment centres.
Chinese-language websites, brochures
and signage are ubiquitous in emerging,
established and conventional destinations.
This signifies the importance of the
Chinese outbound tourism.
So, who are the members of WTA today
and which organisations are they looking
at to further develop?
“The WTA membership covers the whole
travel and industrial chain”, says Mr Liu.
“We are proud that our mission, message
and vision resonate with several companies
and organisations throughout the world
as evidenced by the rapid growth in the
number and geographical diversity of our
members in only a short time.”
As of March 2019, WTA’s membership
roster has grown to 182 from 38 countries
and regions, a sizable increase from 89
members at the time of its establishment
in 2017. Several of their members are
influential and respected companies
and organizations, including Australian
Federation of Travel Agents, Beijing
Tourism Group, Changi Airport, China
National Travel Service Group, Club Med,
TUI, US Travel Association, just to name a
few
WTA Xianghu
Dialogue 2018
EVENTS
WE WILL BE HOLDING
A HIGH-LEVEL SEMINAR WITH
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TOP WINE
TOURISM COUNTRIES IN LA CITÉ
DU VIN IN BORDEAUX.
(From left to right)
Michel Durrieu, General Director, Regional Tourism
Board, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Zurab Pololikashvili,
Secretary General, UNWTO at the signing of the
Memorandum of Understanding
NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE PARTNERS
WITH UNWTO FOR WINE TOURISM
EVENT IN OCTOBER
Memorandum of Understanding signed with aim of boosting
global wine tourism
With the signing of a high-level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
a major new wine tourism seminar is set to take place in Bordeaux in
early October this year. We asked Michel Durrieu, General Director of the
Regional Tourism Board, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, to tell us more about the
background to the relationship between his organisation and the World
Tourism Organisation.
The Regional Tourism Board of Nouvelle-
Aquitaine is already an affiliate member of
the UNWTO; we often collaborate on such
topics as sustainable tourism strategies,
training and of course wine tourism. The
idea of the seminar came about when
the UNWTO’s Secretary General, Zurab
Pololikashvili, and its Executive Council
President and Minister of Tourism of
Argentina, Gustavo Santo visited Nouvelle-
Aquitaine last year. We continued our
discussions at the French Embassy in Madrid
and also at ITB Berlin in March of this year.
We all recognise the strong link between
wine tourism, culture, history and lifestyle
and the contributions of this segment to the
development of regions on a global scale.
Hence, in order to boost wine tourism, we
will be holding a high-level seminar with
representatives of the top wine tourism
countries in La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. This
event will take place in early October 2019
and what better place than Bordeaux since
the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region with the
Bordeaux and Cognac vineyards represents
35% of all wine tourism in France.
The seminar is taking place at a strategic
time. It begins right after the IFTM Top Resa
exhibition in Paris which opens on October
1st. Many of our attendees, high level
tourism officials including tourism ministers,
will be able to come down to Bordeaux just
after IFTM.
Our main goal is to structure our wine
tourism strategies globally, exchange with
other leading wine tourism countries and
of course increase awareness about the
Nouvelle-Aquitaine’s wine tourism offering.
We hope the participants will see the
benefits of such a seminar and we aim to
host it every year. Finally, there will be a fun
side to these high-level meetings since we
will be inviting the attendees to participate
in the vendange (wine grape harvest) in
selected Bordeaux vineyards.
Why did you choose La Cité du Vin to
host the seminar?
La Cité du Vin is a symbolic location, located
in Bordeaux, it is a new generation cultural
centre unique in the world, where wine
is presented in its cultural, civilizational,
heritage and universal dimensions. Most
importantly, La Cité du Vin showcases
vineyards from around the world through a
permanent tour and temporary exhibitions
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 9
9
24% RISE IN NTO
PARTICIPATION
FOR ITB ASIA
Unprecedented demand
for space at leading Asian
tourism event
Katrina
Leung
Managing Director,
Messe Berlin
(Singapore)
With a total of 58 NTOs
and RTOs, ITB Asia in
Singapore this October
has experienced a year-onyear
growth of 23.8% and
25% respectively in the
securing of exhibition space
compared to 2018.
The 3-day business-tobusiness
travel trade show
takes place from 16 - 18
October 2019 at the Sands
Expo & Convention Centre
at Marina Bay Sands. This
year’s event will see at least
19 new NTOs and RTOs,
and thus far, the three
contingents with the largest
exhibition spaces registered
are from Indonesia, Russia
and South Korea.
The strongest participation
comes from Asia,
Marina Bay complex, Singapore
with Southeast Asia
well represented, and
newcomers Myanmar and
RTO, Jakarta, taking part.
North Asia will see an
expanded South Korean
contingent with RTOs from
Gyeonggi, Jeju and Seoul
securing their own booths.
Europe has seen a major
increase in the number
exhibitors, buoyed by an
increase in interest from
Southern and Eastern
Europe. The Balkan states
of Macedonia, Montenegro
and Serbia will be taking
part for the first time along
with the Czech Republic
and Estonia. Compared to
previous years, Hungary
and Russia will also bring
larger contingents
MESSE BERLIN
(SINGAPORE)
LAUNCHES FIRST
MICE SHOW ASIA 2019
Co-located with ITB Asia
2019, MICE Show Asia 2019
will see a diverse group of
participants taking part, of
which 47% are from MICE
Agencies and 26% from
Corporates such as Meetings
and Incentive Planners.
The new show will shine the
spotlight on Asia’s meetings,
incentives, conferences
and exhibitions (MICE)
sector. The gathering will
see professionals from the
incentive travel, meetings,
and events industries come
together to discuss the latest
trends, hear from up-andcoming
MICE innovators,
and network with suppliers.
Katrina Leung, Managing
Director of Messe Berlin
(Singapore), the organiser
of MICE Show Asia, cites
a forecast published by
Allied Market Research on
the global MICE market,
explaining that Asia-Pacific
is expected to witness the
highest growth rate of
8.6% through to 2023:
“The MICE sector in APAC
continues to thrive, with the
region expected to witness
the highest growth rate
in the next 5 years. After
successfully organising ITB
Asia for 12 years, we noticed
the fast-growing demand
for the MICE and corporate
travel segments. MICE Show
Asia 2019 seeks to capture
this growing demand and
I am confident participants
will gain the highest value at
this show.”
Messe Berlin is working
with prominent trade
partners such as the United
Networks of International
Corporate Event Organizers
(UNICEO) and Professional
Convention Management
Association (PCMA) to enrich
the conference content and
bring buyers on board
EVENTS
© IFTM Top Resa
IFTM Top Resa 2018
EVENTS CALENDAR
17-19 JULY 2019
Hotel Investment Conference Australia
New Zealand (HICAP ANZ)
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth,
Sydney, Australia
anz.hicapconference.com
21-22 JULY 2019
China Tourism Forum
DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia
Center City, Philadelphia, PA, USA
https://noncredit.temple.edu/ctf2019
3-7 AUGUST 2019
GBTA Convention
McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, USA
https://convention.gbta.org/
5-7 AUGUST 2019
HTNG Insight Summit North America
Park City, Utah, United States
www.htng.org/page/ISNA2019_SaveDate
10-16 AUGUST 2019
Virtuoso Travel Week
Las Vegas, NV, USA
https://virtuosomeetings.virtuoso.com
28-30 AUGUST 2019
Equip&Dine Asia
Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention
Centre, Singapore
www.equipdineasia.com/en-gb.html
4-5 SEPTEMBER 2019
HSMAI Curate
The Breakers Palm Beach,
Palm Beach, FL, USA
www.hsmai.org/curate2018
8-12 SEPTEMBER 2019
PURE Life Experiences
Marrakesh, Morocco
www.purelifeexperiences.com
9-10 SEPTEMBER 2019
Future Guest Experience
Henderson, NV, USA
https://guestexperience.wbresearch.com/
10-12 SEPTEMBER 2019
IMEX America
Sands Expo Convention Center,
Las Vegas, NV, USA
www.imexamerica.com/
16-18 SEPTEMBER 2019
HTNG Asia-Paciific Conference
Bangkok, Thailand
www.htng.org/page/APC_2019
17-19 SEPTEMBER 2019
The Hotel Show Dubai
World Trade Centre, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
www.thehotelshow.com
18-20 SEPTEMBER 2019
PATA Travel Mart
Korme Exhibition Center,
Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan
www.pata.org/ptm/
18-21 SEPTEMBER 2019
WTA Xianghu Dialogue
Hangzhou, China
www.wta-web.org
21-24 SEPTEMBER 2019
World Routes
Adelaide, Australie
www.routesonline.com/events/204/worldroutes-2019
23-26 SEPTEMBER 2019
ILTM North America
Fairmont Mayakoba,
Riviera Maya, Mexico
www.iltm.com/northamerica
24-26 SEPTEMBER 2019
IT & CM Asia - Incentive Travel &
Conventions, Meetings
Bangkok Convention Centre,
CentralWorld Bangkok, Thailand
https://itcma.com
1-4 OCTOBER 2019
IFTM Top Resa
Porte de Versailles, Paris, France
www.iftm.fr/en-gb.html
2 OCTOBER 2019
The Hotel Distribution Event
The Montcalm Marble Arch,
London, United Kingdom
https://hoteldistributionevent.com
16-18 OCTOBER 2019
ITB Asia
Sands Expo and Convention Centre,
Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
www.itb-asia.com
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the expectations outlined in these statements. Cleverdis assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements during the period of
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ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 11
11
© MStudioImages - iStock by Getty Images
HIGH-END CHINESE
TRAVELLERS
INCREASINGLY SEEKING
“UNIQUE” EXPERIENCES
For travel professionals, there is no
doubt that Chinese high-end customised
travellers bring a greater per person return
on investment to spending on tourism
resources than any other group. This is just
as crucial for well-established destinations
that want to further develop their Chinese
market-share as it is for niche destinations
which are just beginning to attract Chinese
tourists. The China Outbound Tourism
Research Institute (COTRI) forecasts that
the YoY growth rate of the Chinese
outbound travel market will be 11%, with
4 million people going overseas by 2030.
Based on the market’s impressive growth,
Ctrip Customised Travel forecasts that
high-end customised travel will grow by
200% over the next three years.
The latest report by COTRI for Ctrip also
indicates that the tastes of high-end
customised travel clients around activities
and dining experiences are changing.
They are increasingly switching from
sampling local cuisine and street food to
learning the methods of how locals cook
traditional dishes and the stories behind
food. Thailand, Japan, and Italy rank as
the top three overseas destinations for
Chinese foodies, according to the survey.
In the following pages, we take a look
at how luxury travel is evolving in APAC
and around the globe, with a spotlight on
Chinese high-end tourists.
In The Field
with Mary Gostelow
THE "INSIDE LINE" ON WHAT'S HOT IN HOSPITALITY
PART IV
HONEYMOONS
FROM THE
IDYLLIC TO THE
UNWITTINGLY
BEAUTIFUL,
THREE ROMANTIC
LOCATIONS IN
ASIA-PACIFIC
Planning a Honeymoon for your clients?
What about Asia Pacific? In this edition’s “in
the field”, luxury travel guru Mary Gostelow
explains that the ideal could be to book
a private jet to all the suggestions in this
report!
Start on top of the world, in the 118-floor
Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. Take any islandfacing
room with access to the 116 th floor
Club: after a few laps under the LED ceiling
over the rooftop’s indoor pool, taste premeal
Beluga at the 102 nd floor Caviar House
counter, and order Tosca chef Angelo
Aglianó’s signature menu, to arrive, with
Krug, for pre-ordered private dining.
Dine looking at that world, down
there.
In Japan, start at
AMAN Tokyo, with
a lobby like a
football field-sized
oriental paper balloon
atop a 38-floor building.
Design here is unadorned
camphor wood, floors and walls
relieved by giant windows looking out
over Otemachi (try the 157 sq m AMAN
Suite). Don’t miss swimming in the 33 rd
floor indoor pool and watching the sun set
through the 10m-high glass end wall. The
next day, perhaps, take a shinkansen and a
local train to Amanemu, 15 minutes’ drive
from Kashikojima Station. Here, room #10
is closest of the 99 sq m 24 semi-detached
villas to The Restaurant, for delicate seainspired
dishes. You have your own in-room
onsen, but this is aqua heaven – there are
communal onsens in the spa, and outside,
38° and 41° temperatures.
In Australia, start at Park Hyatt Sydney,
for the best-possible close views of the
continuously fascinating water traffic (be
warned, the 155-room hotel can have up to
40 Australian honeymooners overnighting
on a Saturday, which just shows they know
the best). All views are spectacular - #212’s
is great for the Opera House, seemingly a
few yards away – but, wherever, do venture
out for BridgeClimb, for a honeymoon
photo on top of Sydney Harbour Bridge,
just behind-above the hotel.
START
AT AMAN
TOKYO, WITH
A LOBBY LIKE A
FOOTBALL FIELD-SIZED
ORIENTAL PAPER
BALLOON ATOP
A 38-FLOOR
BUILDING
From Sydney, fly to Hobart,
for Tasmania’s renowned
planet-beating clean
air and water,
and King Island
triple-cream
cheeses and a Pinot
Noir of the calibre of 2016
Home Hill Estate. Pick up a Par-
Avion helicopter to avoid a fourhour
drive – albeit scenic - to Saffire
Freycinet, in Freycinet National Park. Gasp
in amazement as what from above looks
like a 200-metre wide stingray sculpture
is this unique resort’s main building. Stay
in any one of 20 futuristic steel and glass
detached villas, identical but for slight size
variation: look directly over Oyster Bay to
the five Hazard Mountains. From the 14
complimentary activities, it’s essential to
“do oysters”. Wade through waist-high
shallows to Pacific Oyster incubation and
dormitories. Then, just you two and your
guide-photographer, stand at a high linenclad
table, in the water, and shuck and eat
for seemingly ever, helped down by Josef
Chromy Sauvignon Blanc 2016, chilled in
elegant stemmed crystal.
SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 13
13
HONEYMOONING IN PARADISE
Malaysia stands out from the “usual old” offering with stunning
island getaways for newlyweds
Travel advisors around the world
are increasingly seeking different
ideas for newlyweds when planning
dream honeymoons, and Malaysia
is definitely “on the radar”
It all begins with lukewarm crystal blue
waters, white beaches and swaying
palms… but if one wants more than
that, this is where Malaysia steps out on
its own as a star destination, thanks to
its deep-rooted friendly culture, amazing
cuisine and stunning nature. Here are just
a couple of ideas you may consider when
helping YOUR clients plan their dream
Honeymoon.
Long Beach, Perhentian Islands, Malaysia
Bonton Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia
LANGKAWI
With a huge variety of magical
places such as the Bon Ton
resort, Meritus Pelangi Beach
Resort & Spa, the Danna, the
Ritz Carlton or the Four Seasons,
the island of Langkawi is very
different from anything you’ll
find in neighbouring Thailand, or
further afield in Indonesia or the
Philippines. Not only are there 99
islands to visit – virtually devoid of
people… (now that’s romantic),
the main island is Southeast
Asia’s first UNESCO Geopark. The
entire paleo- geological history of
Malaysia happened to Langkawi.
As a result of this, one can find
an incredible diversity of flora and
fauna.
Rasa Ria Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia
SABAH
Rasa Ria – Authentic Luxury: The north-east
coast of Borneo – just next to the Sabah capital
of Kota Kinabalu, is home to Shangri-La’s Rasa
Ria Resort & Spa Dalit Bay Golf & Country
Club – a perfect Honeymoon getaway. Resort
General Manager, Fiona Hanan, describes the
resort: “I describe this as a really authentic
experience that is wrapped up in a luxurious
parcel, comprised of the location, the services
and the facilities. We are built on 460 acres of
land. Of that 200 acres is developed, with a
golf course, a 64-acre nature reserve, and three
kilometres of beach front.”
Mabul Island: Sabah’s Islands are unique from
the point of view that they give Honeymooners
not only crystal-clear waters and white fine
sand beaches, but also some of the best diving
anywhere in the world. Taking the example
of Mabul Island off Sabah’s east coast, just
15 minutes’ ride by boat to world-renowned
Sipadan Island, this “micro-destination” is
also fascinating thanks to the fact that it is
home to tribes of colourful and friendly fishing
communities, living in harmony with a handful
of resorts dedicated to eco-tourism and CSR.
PERHENTIAN ISLANDS
The beautiful Perhentian islands off
the north-east coast of Malaysia’s
mainland are still little-known to
the travel world at large, but that is
changing quite rapidly as top-level
infrastructure is added. Located 21
km off the coast of Terengganu, Pulau
Perhentian consists of the islands of
Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian) and
Perhentian Kecil (Small Perhentian).
Both islands are covered by untouched
jungle, a stopover for migratory birds,
fringed by powdery white sandy
beaches, windswept palms and
surrounded by sapphire blue waters.
The Lonely Planet Travel Guide Book
recently recognised Pulau Perhentian
as the 5th Best Beach to Swing a
Hammock. One of the only hotels
on the two main islands with fulltime
electricity (a big plus), the brand
new four-star Mimpi Perhentian Long
Beach Resort opened its doors in time
for the high-season 2018, and several
other high-end hotels are due to open
in coming years.
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
THE ORIGINALS,
HUMAN HOTELS & RESORTS
Making the difference: bringing a more personal touch
to luxury properties
A basic shift is pushing customers to travel
locally and enjoy a fuller experience in
unique hotels. For these people, each trip
and each journey is another opportunity to
grow as a person and a human being.
This desire for authenticity has breathed
life into a new-generation hotel brand
that anticipates both traveller and hotelier
needs: The Originals, Human Hotels &
Resorts. Its name captures the philosophy
and unique identity of this new brand. Its
description and signature details express
its unique values: the human touch, local
travel, experience and independence.
At The Originals, Human Hotels & Resorts,
all hoteliers have something unique to
share. The brand currently plays host to
more than 600 hoteliers in France and
abroad, from luxury to budget.
NOT JUST HOTELS –
HOTELIERS
The Originals, Human Hotels & Resorts
is a new generation of hotels run by
enthusiastic staff with an incredible sense
of hospitality. Their aim is to bring the
best of independent hotel services to all
travellers seeking an alternative offer. It's
also a movement for more human and
local hotel services.
The Originals, Human Hotels & Resorts is a
hotel brand made up of a vast community
of people united by the same vision of
travel and hospitality. Its hoteliers are a
diverse range of people, working in their
neighbourhood or region, who all have
something unique to share with their guests.
The hoteliers have made independence a
lifestyle as much as a management method.
They embrace a certain uniqueness that
forms the group's greatest asset: diversity.
They all share the same philosophy and
commitment to quality and service but
each has its own way of presenting it to
customers. There are master chefs, art
and outdoor enthusiasts and big city
aficionados.
Aurora, Hotelier at the hotel Cortijo Los
Malenos, The Originals Relais serves up
Cortijo (a typical Andalusian farm) fig jam
and home-made cakes.
For 30 years, Aurora taught the language
of Molière at university.
“I wanted a change.” Andalucia, Almeria
province, Cabo de Gata-Nίjar nature park.
This is where Aurora chose to settle in 2003
in a former farmhouse that she converted
SMARTreport Commercial Content
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 15
15
Cortijo Los Malenos,
The Originals Relais
Chalet-Hotel Matsuzaka,
The Originals Relais
into the ideal hotel to disconnect during
your holidays in Costa Almeria.
Located 4 kilometres from the sea and the
nearest village, there’s nothing around her
Cabo de Gata accommodation. Desert.
“This feeling of peace and quiet is
conducive to relaxation,” she says to
explain why she turned the place into
a 3-star hotel, an oasis garden where
cactuses, bougainvillea, rosebay and
pomegranate trees bloom in a 7-hectare
park.
Cortijo Los Malenos, The Originals Relais
is built in traditional Andalusian style with
thick whitewashed walls and not many
openings so as to keep it cool. Aurora
has put in 10 rooms which are as simple
as they are refined. “The most important
thing for me is the feeling of freedom. My
guests are free serve themselves drinks
or make themselves a coffee, they can
watch a film, read books in the library,
walk in the park or take a dip in the pool.
They have everything to make them feel
at home.”
Faye et Mike, Hoteliers at Chalet-Hotel
Matsuzaka, The Originals Relais in La
Rosière have combined their passion for
the mountains and Japan in the same
hotel. And so each guest is welcomed
in a typical Savoie chalet with Japanese
influences.
Year-round snow, high mountains,
warmth of a chalet. Here, Japan meets
Savoie with luxury and sensual pleasure.
Welcome to Faye and Mike Jones’ hotel.
"We wanted to do some good for our
guests, take them far away from their
everyday lives, in a world where they can
appreciate life, relax and make wonderful
and lasting memories.”
La Rosière, the French-Italian mountain
resort, is where Faye and Mike brought
their dream to life.
“When travelling in Japan we came up
with the idea of a chalet-style hotel with
a Japanese spa at our favourite ski resort,
La Rosière 1850,” explain Faye and Mike.
A unique chalet-hotel, which has today
becomed a sanctuary where charm and
subtlety are backed up by authenticity
and simplicity. The 10 rooms of this 4-star
hotel are either in Savoie style or fully
Japanese. Take your pick. A real Japanese
spa and a restaurant combining Japanese,
French and English cuisine supplement
an offer devoted to guests’ pleasure and
enjoyment.
JUST THE HOTEL
FOR EACH AND
EVERY TRAVELLER
The brand offers two categories for
travellers looking for that extra human
touch that goes beyond simple and
sometimes soulless luxury:
• The Originals Collection: luxury hotels
with exceptional spirit and character
• The Originals Relais: high-end hotels
ideally located in the countryside, by the
sea or in the mountains
These hotels are designed as true haven of
peace, a place compatible with well-being
and serenity, allowing anyone to blossom
and enjoy the present: the simplicity of a
walk, a moment of well-being at the spa,
the transmission of a passion...
Change the way you travel and feel the
soul of a place, the beauty of an encounter.
No matter the reason for your stay, there
is always something special to experience
at The Originals, Human Hotels & Resorts
SMARTreport Commercial Content
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
PLAYERS, HONEYMOONERS
AND LOVERS OF FARNIENTE
Virtuoso travel advisor Guido Graf – on current industry
trends
Casinos are increasingly becoming destinations in themselves. We asked
Virtuoso “travel designer”, Guido Graf to share some of his insights about how
he sees this market progressing.
Guido Graf
Virtuoso travel advisor
JUST LIKE
STOCKBROKERS, WE HAVE
TO GATHER DATA AND
UPDATE OURSELVES ON
A DAILY BASIS
When it comes to high rollers, the Casino
provides special packages which, for Las
Vegas Casinos, typically includes a private jet
flight from Europe, a top suite, entertainment,
and VIP treatment. My role starts with
recognising the type of gambler the person
is and ensure he is booked in the best Casino
for his needs and budget. After I make the
initial contact with the Casino, the Casinos
will organise a lot of complementary services
for high rollers, from a private jet with special
catering, to a limousine on arrival and a VIP
suite in the Casino. There are few European
high-rollers, however. Most people will book
a trip to California and stop in Las Vegas so
they can visit a casino and gamble. This is the
same idea behind trips to the French Riviera
with Monte Carlo, or Macao and Reno.
What trends do you see
regarding honeymoons,
private islands and
beach resorts?
In terms of trends, it is
getting harder to say
what is hip. But I do see
a lot of niche interests
developing. In general, I
would say honeymooners
still want the perfect
island beach vacation
(Maldives, Seychelles, or French Polynesia) to
relax. However, we see more and more clients
looking for a lifetime unique experience.
This goes across all categories from cruises,
expeditions, to cultural and even religious
trips.
The trend when it comes to private islands is
that more and more groups, such as company
incentives, friends, multigenerational families,
are looking to stay on a remote and private
island. Since there are only a few private
islands in the Mediterranean, these kinds
of trips are mainly overseas. It’s interesting
to note that people are not always looking
for sandy beaches and turquoise waters, it
could also be adventure on a private island in
Canada or Patagonia.
Beach Resorts are always trendy. In the past
few years, it has been amazing to see how
many new luxury beach hotels have been
opened and will open in the near future. This
is good for the luxury market also, as many
hotels are now forced to invest money in
order not to lose their touch.
Could you tell us a bit more about your
role as Virtuoso travel advisor? What is a
typical day like for you?
Many people think that being a travel advisor
is an easy-going job, but it can be quite
challenging at times. Just like stockbrokers,
we have to gather data and update ourselves
on a daily basis to be able to provide the
best service to our clients. Since we are an
industry in which we deal with people’s most
valuable time – their holidays – clients can
often be demanding, as they want to have
a perfect experience. As a Virtuoso Advisor,
I would say the big difference is that we are
communicating much more with the hotels
in order to make sure the hotel experience
for our clients is out of the ordinary
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 17
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© Gudmundur Thor Karason
LUXURY TRAVELLERS ARE SEEKING
MORE SUSTAINABLE EXPERIENCES THAT
BENEFIT BOTH THEMSELVES AND THE HOST
COMMUNITY
Eliza Reid
First Lady of Iceland,
United Nations Special Ambassador
for Tourism and the Sustainable
Development Goals
ON LUXURY, SUSTAINABILITY
AND AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES
Exclusive interview: Eliza Reid - First Lady of Iceland, United Nations
Special Ambassador for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals
Eliza Jean Reid, First Lady of Iceland, recently attended ITB Berlin "wearing
several hats”, as First Lady, but also in her role as Special Ambassador for
the UN, and at the same time talking about luxury travel. We asked her
how these roles co-exist.
As travellers become increasingly aware
of the social and environmental impact of
their visits, they seek more “authentic”
experiences that connect them with
the local people, culture and nature of
the country they are visiting. The luxury
travel sector is no different, and in fact
will enable tourists to contribute in a
sustainable way to the countries that they
visit.
How important is tourism to Iceland’s
economy today, and how is luxury travel
evolving there? Is your background as a
travel writer influencing this in any way
do you think?
Tourism played a crucial role in the
recovery of the Icelandic economy and
in local job creation following the 2008
recession. Today tourism is the largest
export sector in Iceland, accounting for
42% of total foreign currency revenue
in 2018 (Q1-3). The sector has grown
from accounting for 7.9% of total jobs in
Iceland in 2010 to 15.7% in 2018.
Tourism has strengthened various local
services and cultural activities around
the country, benefitting both locals and
visitors. Following rapid growth in tourism
in recent years, an increasing range of
services and experiences are available to
visitors, including luxury travellers.
Visitors have been enjoying salmon
fishing in Icelandic rivers for decades,
but now there is a vast array of luxury
activities on offer, such as unique outdoor
excursions, helicopter rides, exclusive
geothermal spa experiences, heliskiing,
and more. The availability and variety of
luxury accommodation has also increased
in recent years.
As a travel writer, I endeavoured to share
my experiences of a different location
in an entertaining way, hoping to help
perhaps shed a new light on a certain
region or to inspire people to undertake
their own trip. I didn’t write for any
specific market sector, but I would always
encourage sustainable tourism, whether
in the luxury sector or elsewhere.
How do you feel the “concept” of
luxury travel is changing over time?
I believe, or hope, that luxury travellers
are seeking more sustainable experiences
that benefit both themselves and the host
community, and hope they travel with
increased awareness of both the positive
and negatives effects their visits can have
on a community, while of course aiming
to increase the former and minimise or
eliminate the latter
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
PAYMENT FOR GOODS AND
SERVICES IS BECOMING A MAJOR ISSUE
FOR FOREIGN VISITORS TO CHINA
James Jianzhang Liang
Co-founder & Chairman, Ctrip
CORRECTING THE TOURISM
TRADE BALANCE
James Jianzhang Liang, Co-founder and Chairman, Ctrip,
on bringing more tourists to China
James Jianzhang Liang was at ITB China this year, where he addressed a
“standing room only” conference room on innovating in dealing with
demographics; but also made some hard-hitting points about China’s
tourism trade deficit. We asked him to tell us more.
Much of China’s trade surplus in physical
goods is being offset by a deficit in
tourism. The trade surplus in goods
amounts to US$400bn, but the trade
deficit in tourism is around US$200bn. On
a global perspective, when one talks about
trade, and the contribution of tourism
to different nations’ economies, Chinese
outbound tourists are major contributors.
China has a huge potential to develop
inbound business, but there is a continuing
trend for outbound tourism to outgrow
inbound by a big margin, and this could
eventually lead to an overall trade deficit,
which would have a very important impact
on the economy.
What do you suggest should be done
to rectify this?
Ctrip cannot fix this problem alone. There
are a lot of issues that need to be dealt
with. The facilitation of visas is one area
where things could be further improved.
We can help to some extent when it comes
to helping people with their applications
and so on. But payment for goods and
services is becoming a major issue for
foreign visitors to China, as China has
gotten rid of cash, and most Chinese
people pay with their phones. The issue
arises where foreigners cannot link their
bank cards to China’s mobile payment
systems. While some merchants accept
cards like Visa or Mastercard, more and
more only take cash or mobile payment.
We believe that if operators like ourselves,
or WeChat Pay, can be linked to foreign
bank cards, this could greatly facilitate
travel for overseas visitors.
You’re talking about a deficit, and
in your presentation, you showed
examples of other countries that had
issues in this respect. Where is China
situated on that sliding scale?
In terms of absolute trade deficit in tourism,
China’s deficit is bigger than all the others
combined. In terms of percentage of GDP,
China is ranked 11th, behind some of the
countries that have internal problems, like
Sudan or the Palestinian territories, because
not many people want to go there. While
there is a problem to be solved, there is
also a perception issue. Work needs to be
done on promotion, spending more on
social media and other advertising means,
to promote destinations here
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 19
19
CHINESE HIGH-END
CUSTOMISED TRAVEL
A joint report by Ctrip and COTRI unveiled at ITB China Conference
This year’s ITB China conference
saw the revealing, on Thursday
May 16, of a new report by Ctrip
and COTRI, which details the wants
and needs of high end customers
in customized travel, as opposed to
standard customised travel.
Ctrip, the largest online travel agent in
Asia, and the China Outbound Tourism
Research Institute, or COTRI, jointly released
a new travel report today at the 2019 ITB
China trade fair in Shanghai. The report
examines the trends of Chinese outbound
travelers who are opting for more high-end
customised travel.
In order to meet the highly personalised
travel demands of Chinese travelers, Ctrip's
Customised Travel unit was established in
January 2016. As the concept of high-end
customised travel has gone mainstream in
China, in March 2019, Ctrip's Customised
Travel launched a platform designed
especially for high-net-income individuals.
The platform serves Chinese high-end
customers who are increasingly interested
in top-quality services and the exclusive
use of highly scarce resources. As seasoned
travellers who regard travel as a major
leisure activity, they are actively in search of
services, resources and experiences that are
high-quality, unique and niche. Flexible with
their time and not bound by cost issues,
these customers highly value exclusivity and
privacy during their travel experiences.
According to the report, women, couples
and those in the 31-40 age group were the
most likely demographics to book highend
customised travel packages overseas.
The top 10 most popular destinations were
Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Maldives, USA,
Australia, France, Singapore, UAE and Italy.
In 2018, the number of orders on the
platform increased 180% compared to the
year before. Although Shanghai, Beijing
and Guangzhou are the top three local
markets with the highest demand for highend
customized travel, the growth rate
of orders from second and third-tier cities
such as Xi'an and Tianjin surpassed that of
first-tier cities. Ctrip's data show that the
average expenditure per person on a highend
customized travel package was RMB
23,800 (US$3,410).
The demand for unique activities such as
helicopter tours, fine dining, attendance
of special sporting events such as FIFA
World Cup and unique accommodation
arrangements such as island resorts reflects
ongoing interest in higher end, more
tailored experiences in the Chinese travel
market.
Jonathan Xie, General Manager of
Customised Travel Business, hopes that
efficient connections can be built amongst
customers, businesses and travel providers,
stating: "The aim of Ctrip's Customised
Travel Platform 3.0 is to make travel easy, in
any location, in any way our clients want to
make their trip"
HIGH-END CUSTOMISED
TRAVEL CLIENTS
The main target clients for high-end
customized travel are China’s high-networth-individuals
(HNWIs). By 2018, there
were 1.67 million HNWIs in China. For them,
health is the most frequently mentioned
desire, and traveling has become a major
leisure activity and a necessity for life.
Jonathan Xie
General Manager,
Customized Travel Business,
Ctrip
ELITE TRAVEL TRENDS
FOR MORE AND MORE CHINESE GUESTS,
THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE CONFINES OF
OUR LUXURY ACCOMMODATION AND CONNECT
WITH PEOPLE IN OUR DESTINATION IS ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT THEY LOVE MOST.
Jonathan Cheung
CEO, Abercrombie & Kent China
THE EVOLUTION OF CHINESE
LUXURY TRAVEL
Jonathan Cheung, CEO – A&K China – on changing wants and needs
Chinese demand for international
luxury travel is developing rapidly.
Gone are the days of hitting over
10 European countries in one trip.
We asked Jonathan Cheung, CEO of
Abercrombie & Kent China how he
sees the market evolving.
Chinese upscale travellers increasingly
demand unique itineraries, high degrees
of personalisation, considerate service,
exclusive access, or are identifying a clear
purpose or theme for trips, such as wine
tasting or architecture, which leads to
a huge surge in the use of luxury travel
agencies and consultants. Furthermore,
these upscale travellers desire adventures
in less-travelled destinations, such as
Africa or the Polar regions. The more
exotic and extremer the destinations are,
the more luxurious experience the guests
are caring for.
You say it’s important to satisfy
travellers’ “spiritual’ demands”. What
do you mean by that?
Thanks to the expansion of the luxury
travel market, most of the affluent
travellers are becoming less price sensitive
and seasoned. The travellers are having
more diversified needs for customised
destinations and products, and starting to
seek unique experiences and inspirations
instead of material goods. For A&K, most
of our Chinese guests are senior executives,
business owners and entrepreneurs,
who’re always finding themselves with a
busy and hectic schedule. When we plan
the trips for them, we’re always trying
to encourage the guests to break out
of the box. We will discuss with guests
about their “mental” demands. These
may be about study, cultural immersion,
parent-children interaction, philanthropy
and charity, spiritual practice and so on.
For example, in October 2019, we have
specially designed an Egypt journey for
our guests who have a great interest in
culture and history. It is like a master class
in both Egyptian history and luxury travel.
Our guests will not only travel with our
external experts from the Academy of
Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, but
also the region's best Egyptologists from
A&K, whose dedication to the journey is
rivalled only by their passion for local art,
history and culture.
Our philanthropy project is another
highlight that I would like to share. The
joys of luxury travel are many, but for
more and more Chinese guests, the
opportunity to leave the confines of our
luxury accommodation and connect with
people in our destination is one of the
things that they love most. The mission
of Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy
(AKP), founded in 1982, is to positively
impact the lives and livelihoods of the
communities where our guests travel.
Today, AKP carries on A&K’s social and
environmental commitments on a global
scale with over 40 projects on all seven
continents. Guests of A&K are able to visit
these projects and support the continuing
development of AKP’s investments in the
natural and cultural heritage of diverse
destinations around the world
ASIA - PACIFIC
Hotel & Tourism
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21
APAC RIDING WAVE
OF TOURISM SUCCESS
Arrivals in Asia and the Pacific are
forecast to grow 5% to 6% in 2019,
after a 6% increase in 2018, with
still considerable growth potential
in many emerging source markets
and destinations.
The UNWTO reports that over the
past year, positive growth has been
experienced in tourism receipts, in
particular for destinations in Asia.
China recorded a 30% increase up
to September, rebounding strongly
from a decline in 2017 as a weaker
Yuan made the destination more
affordable. Japan and Macao
(China) also led results with a
19% and 16% increase in tourism
earnings respectively. Thailand
recorded an 8% increase, following
several years of double-digit figures.
In Australia, receipts increased by
12%. Hong Kong (China), India,
Republic of Korea, Indonesia,
Taiwan (pr. of China), and Vietnam
all posted double-digit figures,
benefitting from a strong Chinese
and Indian outbound market. In the
following pages, you will find more
details about travel and tourism
trends in APAC.
Currumbin Beach, Gold Coast, Australia
ASIA - PACIFIC
FACTS & FIGURES
TOURISM BOOM
CONTINUES IN APAC
Asia-Pacific records 6% rise in
international tourism in 2018
The World Tourism Organisation reports
Asia and the Pacific recorded 6% growth
in 2018, reaching 343 million international
tourist arrivals. Arrivals in the region
account for almost one-fourth of the
worldwide total.
Results were driven by Southeast Asia
(+7%) where most destinations posted
strong growth, particularly Vietnam,
which has seen a surge in international
tourists in recent years from virtually all
world regions. Indonesia and Cambodia
enjoyed double-digit increases in arrivals,
thanks to continued robust demand from
China and India. Thailand, the most visited
destination in South-East Asia, as well
as the Philippines also recorded strong
growth on the back of higher visitor
flows from China. Singapore also posted
positive growth in 2018 thanks to good
performance from several of its source
markets.
International arrivals in Northeast Asia
increased 6%, led by the Republic of
Korea which continues to rebound from a
weaker 2017. Japan, which has become
the third most visited destination in Asia
following six straight years of doubledigit
figure growth, also showed positive
growth in 2018 despite a slight slowdown
due to the impact of the typhoon Jebi and
the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake
which occurred in September 2018.
Macao and Hong Kong also reported solid
results. Meanwhile mainland China, the
region’s largest destination recorded only
2% growth in the first three quarters of
2018. The opening of the Hong-Kong –
Zhuhai – Macau Bridge in October 2018
was expected to enhance connectivity
and boost tourist flows between the three
cities of the Greater Bay Area.
South Asia (+5%) also enjoyed a strong
year, with Nepal profiting from higher
inbound from India, China and European
source markets thanks to a number of
promotional campaigns. Sri Lanka, India
and the Maldives all reported sound
results
RUSSIANS
RUSH TO
APAC:
ARRIVALS UP
54.4%
Geoffrey Gelardi – winner
of the Mary Gostelow Award
for hospitality – in background
- Matthew Upchurch, CEO
It’s boom of Virtuoso time and ILTM for Director Russian
Alison Gilmore
arrivals in Asia-Pacific (APAC)
countries, thanks to a doubling
in seat capacity on direct flights
from Russia to selected APAC
destinations. The trend is
revealed in the latest findings
from analysts ForwardKeys.
Total international arrivals
in the APAC region were
up 3.8%, May 2018 to April
2019. However, Russia’s 54.5%
increase meant Europe was the
top growing origin continent,
up 6.3%. Growth in Russian
leisure travellers (up 62.8%)
dramatically outstripped
business travel (up 27.5%) and
they’re staying for 16 nights on
average. In line with general
trends towards shorter lead
times, the Russians are booking
fewer days in advance, 65.8
days, down from 78.1 days
INTERNATIONAL
TOURIST ARRIVALS,
12
10
8
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
7
5.6 6
6
6
8.7
6
(% change)
5.6
5
17/16
18*/17 January - December
4
2
3.4
3
0
Asia and
the Pacific
North-East
Asia
South-East
Asia
Oceania
South
Asia
Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©
* Provisional data
Hotel & Tourism
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Mario Hardy
Chief Executive,
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
THE PATA VIEWPOINT
PATA CEO Dr Mario Hardy talks about the future of his organisation,
and that of tourism in the region
PATA CEO Dr Mario Hardy has been over four and a half years at the helm of
the organisation now. We asked him what he sees as being the “journey”
for PATA for the coming years, and what his “vision” is in this respect.
Four years ago, PATA started on a journey
of becoming financially sustainable
which we have now achieved. Moving
forward, our focus is about increasing
PATA’s influence and thought leadership,
as well as taking a strong stance when
we see threats or injustice in our sector.
Most importantly, our mission has and will
always be about increasing our members
engagement with the tourism sector at
large and between members in general.
What are the key findings of your “Asia
Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2019-2023”?
It would not be a surprise if I told you
that we see “growth” across the Asia
Pacific region over the next five years.
However, it is fair to say that it is uneven
growth, as some destinations are on the
verge of having too much while others
suffer from “undertourism”. The latter is
especially true for the islands of the Pacific
due to their remoteness and accessibility
challenges.
Should APAC nations be trying to
diversify more in their source markets?
At the recent ASEAN Tourism Forum
in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, I had the
opportunity to highlight to the ASEAN
tourism ministers the pressing need for
diversifying their source markets. I asked
them to play a simple exercise by taking
their number one source market and
removing it from the equation, then
see what impact it would have on their
tourism economy. Why is this important,
because we have seen in recent times
how political and economic shifts can
affect tourism arrivals into a destination.
Like any good investment advisor would
tell you, diversification and a balanced
portfolio are key to a good investment
portfolio, the same theory applies here.
One of your favourite topics is AI.
Why so?
I am curious by nature and fascinated by
the possibilities of AI in solving real-world
human challenges, and equally concerned
that humans may use AI for the wrong
purpose. My fascination with the tech
world is beyond my day job at PATA,
however, AI is already starting to make an
impact on the tourism sector. The tech to
watch is voice assistance and how it will
soon be an integral part of our daily life
DIVERSIFICATION
AND A BALANCED
PORTFOLIO ARE
KEY TO A GOOD
INVESTMENT
PORTFOLIO, THE
SAME THEORY
APPLIES HERE
ASIA - PACIFIC
FACTS & FIGURES
Officially opened to traffic at
9:00am on 24 th October 2018, it is
simply the longest sea bridge in the
world, and is destined to greatly
boost business and tourism for
Macao, while in itself being a breathtaking
structure and achievement.
With a total length of 55 kilometres, including
a 6.7-km-long underwater tunnel, the Hong
Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HKZM Bridge),
situated across the waters of Lingdingyang
of Pearl River Estuary, is a mega-size sea
crossing linking the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR), Zhuhai City
of Guangdong Province and Macao Special
Administrative Region. It consists of a Main
Bridge in Mainland waters together with
the boundary crossing facilities and link
roads within the three places.
The functions of the Bridge are to meet
the demand of passenger and freight land
transport among Hong Kong, the Mainland
(particularly the region of Pearl River
West) and Macao, to establish a new land
transport link between the east and west
banks of the Pearl River, and to enhance the
economic and sustainable development of
the three places.
The new link was the first large-scale project
developed jointly by the governments
NEW LINK…
NEW HORIZONS
HKZM bridge set to facilitate Macao’s role
in international development
of the three places it immediately
serves, demonstrating the successful
implementation of the “one country, two
systems” principle. It also represented
a breakthrough moment in terms of the
construction techniques used and in terms
of the coordination mechanism applied to
blend together the work of three places that
each had a distinct set of public policies.
NEW BOUNDARY
CLEARANCE MODEL FOR
MACAO-ZHUHAI BORDER
The facilities offering border crossing
services for passengers and vehicles
travelling between Macao, Hong Kong and
Zhuhai are open 24 hours a day, with the
Customs clearance between Macao and
Zhuhai conducted on a “Joint Inspection
and One-time Release” principle, the
nation's first border clearance model.
SHUTTLE BUS SERVICES
CONNECT TO MACAO
BORDER AND HKIA
Shuttle buses are the main public
transportation plying the bridge between
Hong Kong, Macao, and Zhuhai borders,
with the two main routes being the Hong
Kong/Zhuhai run and the Hong Kong/
Macao run. The Hong Kong/Macao route -
transporting residents and visitors between
the Macao border and Hong Kong border
- provides about 200 coach trips daily,
scheduled to depart every 5 minutes during
peak period; 10 to 15 minutes during
non-peak period; and 15 to 30 minutes
overnight (midnight to 6:00am). Crossborder
coaches provide services between
the urban areas of Hong Kong and Macao
with fixed stopping points, fixed routes and
fixed schedules. Meanwhile, the shuttle bus
route connecting Hong Kong International
Airport and Macao border crossing area
provides an alternative route for residents
and visitors making their way to Hong Kong
International Airport
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FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE
EXPANDING IN ASIA-PACIFIC
CEO Filip Boyen talks about his organisation’s ambitions
and roadmap in the region
With the Hong-Kong based Peninsula Hotel group scooping five star
honours across its brand for the Forbes Travel Guide 2019 Star Awards, and
other hotels earning five-star rating for the first time, like Four Seasons
Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An, Bulgari Resort Bali and Bulgari Hotel Beijing,
all eyes are turned to the east when it comes to luxury travel. For several
years, Forbes Travel Guide has been enhancing its presence in the region,
so we asked the organisation’s CEO, Filip Boyen, to tell us more about
their activities there.
We consider Asia Pacific a mature market.
We entered China with Beijing and now are
covering eight cities there, along with nine
more countries throughout the Asia Pacific/
Oceania region, including the more recent
addition of Vietnam. We do now proudly
feature Seoul as a destination on our list,
and the city boasts several Star Award
recipients, including The Shilla Seoul,
a Five-Star award winner. Growth and
expansion continues in Asia Pacific, and
we will be announcing our first winners
for Cambodia. Plus, growth of destinations
in the Asia/Oceania region are happening
already this year, including the Republic of
the Maldives, French Polynesia and New
Zealand.
It’s less than a year since you’ve been at
the helm of Forbes Travel Guide. How
are you “fitting in”?
My tenure at Forbes Travel Guide has flown
by, and it is hard to believe my anniversary
will be in November. It has been the most
enjoyable time in my career. One of the
greatest highlights was Verified, The
Forbes Travel Guide Luxury Summit, which
had more than 700 attendees, celebrates
our annual Star Award winners and
offers attendees the opportunity to join a
program of informational sessions. Another
highlight of my new role was being able to
then take the time afterward to set up a
schedule of destination visits and see those
properties in person. Forbes Travel Guide
exists to champion, support and celebrate
all those with a passion for extraordinary
service and that makes my job incredibly
meaningful and enjoyable.
What differentiates Forbes Travel
Guide?
Forbes Travel Guide is the only global,
independent luxury ratings association that
offers objective, professional incognito
evaluations to determine the very best
properties in the world. A rating cannot be
bought or influenced; we pay for all our own
inspections, and the results are determined
via a stringent set of standards, that is both
geographically and culturally sensitive in
application. We are a transparent business
and have taken very specific steps over
recent years to bring clarity and open
dialogue with the industry
Filip Boyen
CEO, Forbes Travel Guide
GROWTH OF DESTINATIONS IN
THE ASIA/OCEANIA REGION ARE
HAPPENING ALREADY THIS YEAR,
INCLUDING THE REPUBLIC OF THE
MALDIVES, FRENCH POLYNESIA AND
NEW ZEALAND
ASIA - PACIFIC
AIR TRANSPORT
KEY NEWS ON APAC ROUTES
AND AIRPORTS
LUFTHANSA INSPIRES
CHINESE TO TRAVEL WITH
ITS NEW BRAND CAMPAIGN
#LIFECHANGINGPLACES
© N509FZ
CHINA SOUTHERN ANNOUNCES NEW
SERVICES IN EUROPE
Building on the success of its brand claim “Say
Yes to the World”, Lufthansa has launched a new
cross-media brand campaign in China, named
#LifeChangingPlaces. The campaign invites global
travellers to explore the limits of who they are and
find out who they can be. Commenting on the
strategic thought behind the campaign, Michael
Knapp, Director B2C Marketing Asia Pacific,
Lufthansa said: “Places can change people. They
can inspire and motivate them to become more
of who they are by opening them up to new
experiences. At Lufthansa German Airlines, we
want to enable such experiences for everyone. That
is the main goal of our brand campaign.”
China Southern is expanding this summer with a new route to Vienna
and potentially new flights to Italy. China Southern is the largest airline
in Asia with over 138 million passengers last year while operating a
fleet of 820 aircraft.
Looking to further expand in Europe, particularly from its main hub in
Guangzhou in Southern China, the carrier confirmed the launching of
a three-time weekly service linking Guangzhou to Vienna with a stopover
in Urumqi. The new service was set to begin on June 18, 2019
using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. After the operation of Guangzhou-
Urumqi- Vienna service, China Southern Airlines network will cover
nine destinations in Europe. The others are Frankfurt, Amsterdam,
Istanbul, London, Moscow, Paris, Rome and Saint Petersburg.
LUFTHANSA LAUNCHES
NEW APAC ROUTES
Lufthansa has launched an Osaka-Munich route
with an Airbus A350-900. The first flight from
Munich arrived at Kansai International Airport at
6:20am on April 1, and the first flight from Kansai
International Airport to Munich Airport departed at
8:50am on the same day.
Meanwhile, as of 4 th June 2019, Lufthansa began
operations between Singapore and Munich on
daily basis. After the airline reintroduced the
Singapore – Munich route in March 2018 with the
Airbus A350–900, the airline decided to increase
the frequency up to seven times a week.
VIETNAM AIRLINES COMPLETES FLEET
PURCHASE OF A350 AIRCRAFT
On 3 rd April 2019, Airbus presented Vietnam Airlines’ 14 th Airbus
A350-900 at a special ceremony in Toulouse. The ceremony was
attended by the Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam,
Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and high-ranking officials of the country’s
National Assembly. The aircraft completed Vietnam Airlines’ order of
14 Airbus A350-900s, marking another milestone in the national flag
carrier's fleet development and expansion programme as it moves
towards Skytrax 5-star status.
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AIR FRANCE-KLM GROUP
INCREASES SERVICES TO ASIA
In Japan, the Air France-KLM group is significantly
increasing its service to Tokyo - 2 additional flights
to Tokyo-Haneda on departure from Paris with Air
France (14 weekly flights) and 3 additional flights to
Tokyo-Narita on departure from Amsterdam with KLM
(10 weekly flights). With these increased frequencies,
the group is increasing capacity by +12% to Japan.
In China: KLM supports this dynamic in Asia with
an additional weekly flight to Shanghai (12 weekly
flights).
© Jewel Changi Airport Devt.
QANTAS OPERATES WORLD’S
FIRST ZERO WASTE FLIGHT
The first-ever commercial flight to produce no landfill waste
took to the skies this on May 8, 2019, marking the start of
Qantas’ plan to cut 100 million single-use plastics by end-
2020 and eliminate 75% of the airline’s waste by end-2021.
All inflight products on board QF739, flying from Sydney to
Adelaide and staffed by cabin crew from the Qantas ‘Green
Team’, were to be disposed of via compost, reuse or recycling.
Speaking at the flight’s departure, Qantas Domestic CEO
Andrew David said the trial flight was an important milestone
for the national carrier’s plan to slash waste. “In the process of
carrying over 50 million people every year, Qantas and Jetstar
currently produce an amount of waste equivalent to 80 fullyladen
Boeing 747 jumbo jets. We want to give customers the
same level of service they currently enjoy, but without the
amount of waste that comes with it.”
Jewel Changi Airport's
magnificent Forest Valley
© Masakatsu Ukon
JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT
OPENS TO THE PUBLIC
In April, Jewel Changi Airport gave selected members of
the public a sneak peek into the one-of-a-kind lifestyle
destination. The 135,700 sq m complex, built on the site
of the former Terminal 1 open air carpark, is designed
by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie and features
a distinctive dome-shaped façade. It will offer both
local residents and international visitors a multi-faceted
experience that includes attractions, unique shopping and
dining concepts, as well as airport and accommodation
facilities. Ms Hung Jean, Chief Executive Officer, Jewel
Changi Airport Devt, said, “The vision for Jewel Changi
Airport is to be a destination where ‘The World meets
Singapore, and Singapore meets the World’. The
unique proposition of world-class shopping and dining,
seamlessly integrated with lush greenery, fulfils the needs
of increasingly discerning travellers for a meaningful and
experiential journey, even for brief layovers.”
GARUDA INDONESIA
LAUNCHES THE FIRST NON-STOP
FLIGHT BETWEEN WESTERN EUROPE
(LONDON HEATHROW) AND BALI
Garuda Indonesia started non-stop flights from London
Heathrow to Bali from January 22. The flight, operated
three times per week utilising a Boeing 777-300ER, is part
of a modification in the route between Jakarta and London
Heathrow: it becomes a triangular flight Jakarta – Heathrow
– Denpasar – Jakarta and thus becomes the very first nonstop
flight between Western Europe and the most popular
Indonesian holiday island. The slightly more than 15 hours
flight departs in London at 21:55 and arrives the next day
at 21:15 in Denpasar (Bali). The return flight from Bali to
Heathrow does have a stopover in Jakarta.
ASIA - PACIFIC
TRENDING DESTINATIONS
INDIA…
AS INCREDIBLE
AS EVER
Developing new multi-pronged
tourism approach
A number of new initiatives are underway in India’s tourism
sector aiming to provide visitors to “Incredible India” with
a spiritually enhancing, culturally enriching, physically
invigorating and mentally rejuvenating experience.
© Messe Berlin GmbH
In the past few years, India has
committed a sum of nearly
€860m under two major schemes
of the Ministry of Tourism for
development of tourism circuits,
preservation and maintenance
of monuments, human resource
development, Information
Technology, etc. In addition, a large
sum of money has been invested
expanding and modernising the
nation’s infrastructure in airports
and airlines, railways, national
highways, hotels and transport. A
total of 17 prominent tourist sites
are being developed into iconic
tourism destinations by following
a holistic approach involving
infrastructure and skill development,
progress in technology, attracting
private investment, branding and
marketing.
Meanwhile, a new certification
programme has been established
for tourist guides. Yogendra
Tripathi, the new Secretary of
the Ministry of Tourism for the
Government of India explains,
“The Ministry of Tourism has
rolled out the Incredible India
Tourist Facilitator Certification
(IITFC) Programme in New Delhi to
enable Indian citizens to develop
and enhance the skills associated
with tourism, and where one
can incorporate knowledge
about facilitating tourists visiting
the country. The certification
programme comprises basic and
advanced self-paced courses
designed in a manner that the
users can learn in their own time,
space, path and pace. The basic
course, comprising of 7 modules,
is aimed at training the facilitators
for knowledge, skills and attitude
domains. Successful completion
of this programme enables the
learner to become a Certified
Tourist Facilitator of the Ministry
of Tourism, Government of India”
ITB TRADE SHOW
MAKES ITS WAY TO
THE SOUTH ASIAN
SUBCONTINENT
IN 2020 WITH
THE INAUGURAL
EDITION OF ITB
INDIA
Organised by world-leading trade fair
company Messe Berlin, ITB India will be
a three-day business-to- business travel
trade show and convention focusing
on the Indian travel market. It will take
place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in
Mumbai, India, from 15 to 17 April 2020.
“In recent years, we have given the ITB
brand an increasingly international
dimension,” said Dr Christian Göke, Chief
Executive Officer of Messe Berlin. “From a
global and regional perspective, India is a
vast source market for the travel industry
with a huge growth potential. We are
delighted that ITB India will in future
complement the trio of ITB Berlin, ITB
Asia and ITB China, making it a quartet
and strengthening the global ITB brand”
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Mount Fuji
DESTINATION JAPAN
New challenges for the nation’s tourism industry ahead
of Tokyo Olympic Games
As Japan passed the 30-million
international travellers’ mark for
the first time, the country now
looks to spread tourism benefits
all across to new destinations
Last year, Japan recorded 31-million
international travellers, representing
a threefold growth over the 10 million
international travellers recorded just
five years before, back in 2013.
The interest in destination Japan is
likely to continue unabated. This is
due to a combination of a relatively
weak Yen, the abolition of visas for
many countries and continuous
growth in air transport capacities.
As an example, All Nippon Airways
is adding this year routes to Vienna-
Tokyo and Perth-Tokyo while Japan
Airlines is returning to Seattle after
more than 25 years.
With an eye on the hosting in Tokyo
of the Summer Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games in 2020, the
government is targeting 40 million
international travellers that year.
Recently Japan’s largest travel agency
and tour operator JTB Corp released a
forecast over inbound tourist arrivals
in 2019. JTB expects that growth
will reach 12% translating into 35.5
million foreign arrivals. For 2030,
the government has the ambition
to accommodate 60 million foreign
visitors.
The sharp increase in inbound
tourism in recent years however
brings some challenges. There is a
need to diversify arrivals’ sources. In
2018, 74% of all travellers came from
Northeast Asia – China, Korea, Hong
Kong and Chinese Taipei. Southeast
Asia generated another 14% while
the rest of the world represented
only 12% of all arrivals. Increased
promotion such as Japan’s presence
at ITB seems a necessity.
Another challenge is to lure travellers
outside of the three big metropolitan
areas consisting of Tokyo, Nagoya and
the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto).
This “golden tourism triangle” today
attracts 59% of all foreign overnights.
The government has set a target of
increasing the share of foreign visitors
who stay outside the three areas to
50% in 2020 and 60% in 2030.
Increased advertising internationally
and additional direct overseas flights
will be a priority over the coming
years
TOHOKU: NEW
WEBSITE AND VIDEO
SERIES LAUNCHED
The Japan National Tourism
Organization (JNTO) has announced
the launch of a new website and video
series dedicated to the Tohoku region,
the "hidden gem" of northern Japan.
JNTO has also worked with Nathan
Thornburgh and Matt Goulding,
founders of travelogue and publishing
house, Roads & Kingdoms, to produce
a series of captivating videos which
showcase the breadth and depth of the
region, targeting American visitors
ASIA - PACIFIC
TRENDING DESTINATIONS
River at Mulu
Proboscis Monkey, Bako National Park
BUMI KENYALANG
Sarawak… land of the hornbills… orang utans…
and so much more!
Since the arrival of a new CEO at
the head of its tourism organisation,
Sarawak, the beating heart of
Borneo, has been making new
efforts to stand out from the crowd.
Last year saw the arrival of a
colourful new logo, leveraging the
use of vibrant colours representing
the diversity in Sarawak and different
natural aspects such as green for the
rainforest and blue for the oceans
and lakes.
“The brush strokes are fun and not
rigid lines, much like Sarawak which
is a very friendly and laid-back place
to visit,” explains Sarawak Tourism
Chief Executive Officer, Sharzede
Datu HJ Salleh Askor. “The centre
‘a’ is, of course, a stylised hornbill
representing Sarawak’s moniker
of ‘Land of Hornbills’ or ‘Bumi
Kenyalang’. It is also a very sacred
bird to many of the indigenous
people in Sarawak.”
According to Ms Askor, the three
key selling points of Sarawak are
“Our people, our products and
our authenticity. We have genuine
authenticity with modern comforts
that you truly cannot find anywhere
else.”
New products, or existing products
that hadn’t seen much promotion
in the past are now under the
spotlight. The Kuching Heritage Trail
is one such attraction, and plans
are in the works to make Kuching
city’s historical heritage an easily
navigated product on its own.
With a previous image of Sarawak as
wild – and consequently untamed,
travel advisors had sometimes
shied away from selling it as a
family destination. However, trade
and media fam tours are fast
dispelling this myth, with particularly
comfortable and modern facilities
and services.
TOP INTERNAL DESTINATIONS
INCLUDE:
Bako National Park - the oldest and one of
the smallest national parks in Sarawak. The park
is located at approximately 37 km from the city
of Kuching; which makes it one of the easiest
national parks to reach. One of the highlights of
the park are the proboscis monkeys.
Semenggoh Nature Reserve - For over 20 years,
the wardens at Semenggoh Nature Reserve had
been training young orangutans, orphaned or
rescued from captivity, on how to survive in the
wild. The success of this programme has left
the surrounding forest reserve with a thriving
population of healthy adolescent and young adult
orangutans, who are now breeding in the wild.
Gunung Mulu - Named a UNESCO World
Heritage site in 2000, Mulu National Park in
Sarawak is seeing European visitor numbers –
especially from Germany – growing rapidly. The
park, despite being remote (or perhaps thanks
to its remoteness), is recognised throughout
Asia as being a model in terms of management
and infrastructure. Its caves are among the most
spectacular in the world
ASIA - PACIFIC
TRENDING HOTELS
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WHERE LUXURY MEETS
MODERN ART
Hotel Eclat Beijing showcases original art
from Salvador Dali to Andy Warhol in a
sustainable and green setting
Hotel Éclat Beijing houses the largest
private collection of Dali works outside
of Europe, together with some of
China’s finest contemporary art and
masterworks. Indeed, in a globalised
world, the hotel’s impressive art
collection forms an important cultural
legacy and an important platform for
promoting understanding of Easter
and Western art.
This luxury boutique hotel offers a rare
opportunity to experience museum
quality art while enjoying stylish, cool
accommodation, outstanding cuisine,
intuitive yet non-intrusive guest
services and a spectacular Mall, all
within its unique architectural design.
The entire complex pays tribute to art,
with an impressive collection of fine
works in guestrooms and public areas
– more than 100 pieces, including
original sculptures and paintings not
only from Salvador Dali, but also the
likes of Pierre Matter, Zhang Guolang,
Chen Wen Ling, Andy Warhol, Gao
Xiao Wu, and Zou Liang.
The hotel has 100 rooms, with 20
themed suites that have their own
terrace with swimming pool. A special
feature of the Deluxe Lagoon Suites
is the ultra-spacious living rooms
and separate dining areas, which
offer perfect spaces for entertaining,
more casual dining or simply relaxing.
Guests can indulge in a leisurely meal
prepared by Chef Raul, served by a
personal butler in the “Old Boy’s Club”
for example, surrounded by trinkets
transporting one to British schooldays.
In “The Mad Hatter” Lagoon
Suite, a huge, signature-style “Our
Generation” series cartoon sculpture
by Gao Xiaowu looms over the outdoor
seating area. This is a distinctive
statement to the room’s theme which
incorporates many original design
features. Meanwhile, other playful
decor elements such as quirky crockery
and innovative lighting shaped as top
hats remind guests of the mad hatter
or a world where everything is pure
fantasy
ENERGY
SAVINGS
THROUGH
INNOVATION
Various integrated engineering techniques
have created a sustainable shell around
the building. To be as efficient as possible,
special ventilation louvers channel hot air
out of the building while letting in cooler
air flow throughout. This feature, along
with multiple energy saving features,
allows the building to use 44% less energy
than conventional hotels. Water taken
from the pools is filtered through the
hotel’s innovative grey water system.
The all-glass facade and thermal insulation
create an individual microclimate for
the complex itself, providing protection
from the harsh exterior weather as
well as reducing the building’s energy
consumption. According to its project
description, Parkview Green is a
“neighbourhood within a neighbourhood,
a controlled and highly efficient year-round
green space to live, work, and play”
ASIA - PACIFIC
TRENDING HOTELS
THE POTTINGER HONG KONG
IS RECOMMENDED BY THE FORBES
TRAVEL GUIDE. IT IS WHERE EAST
MEETS WEST, WHERE MODERNITY
MEETS HERITAGE.
Gina Tam
Hotel Manager,
The Pottinger Hong Kong
EAST MEETS WEST
Modernity and tradition come together at the Pottinger Hong Kong
Rising on the uphill elevation of the Pottinger Street in the heart of
Hong-Kong’s Central district, The Pottinger Hong Kong is a pivotal hub
of business and finance, shopping, dining, culture and entertainment.
We asked Hotel Manager, Gina Tam, to tell us more.
The hotel stands amidst rich culture
in a lively neighbourhood on a Grade
1 historical site rated by Antiquities
Advisory Board of Hong Kong. Radiating
from its front portal, The Pottinger Hong
Kong has been adorned by a collection of
specialty street stalls, paving a heritage
landscape of a classic elegance of Hong
Kong. To ascend or descend further
around The Pottinger Hong Kong, one
can discover other intriguing scenes of
century-old tenement buildings, stylish
and upscale international and local labels,
all lined up within the ease of a pleasant
stroll.
What are the main characteristics of this
property?
The 68 luxury guest rooms and suites,
ranging from 23 sq m to 68 sq m, offer
a warm and pleasant stay to the guests.
“Pottinger Suite” and six cosy suites
named after the streets around the Central
neighbourhood are designed with a touch
of oriental flavour, heritage and a sense of
home, in celebration of Hong Kong’s rich
heritage and diverse cultures. The Pottinger
Hong Kong is recommended by The
Forbes Travel Guide. It is where East meets
West, where modernity meets heritage.
It also hosts the award-winning Italian
restaurant Gradini Ristorante E Bar Italiano,
the Michelin-starred Ta Vie, the visuallystunning
The Envoy, Room 309 and Venchi.
The Pottinger Hong Kong features
a number of striking images by one
of Hong Kong’s most famous sons,
photographer and film director Fan Ho.
Can you tell us more about this?
Born in Shanghai in 1931, Fan Ho first
delved into photography at the age of 14.
After moving to Hong Kong in 1949, he
began taking photographs of the streets
and alleys of old Central, and of other
markets and street stalls in the Hong Kong
of the time. His creative output in the
1950s and 1960s included what are now
recognised as some of Hong Kong’s most
iconic photographic images. Between
1958 and 1965, he was eight times
named one of the Top Ten Photographers
of the World by the Photographic Society
of America. His pictures depict both the
hardship and the can-do spirit of Hong
Kong, one that has characterised this
city for many generations. Today, his
masterpieces are showcased in his most
favourite place on earth, Central Hong
Kong, at The Pottinger Hong Kong
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Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 33
33
MARRIOTT
INTERNATIONAL
BOLSTERS ASIA
PACIFIC LUXURY
OFFERING
Marriott International has announced strong growth
of its Asia Pacific luxury portfolio with 13 new luxury
properties projected to open in 2019.
The group’s current portfolio of 130 luxury hotels across ten
countries and territories in Asia Pacific will see new openings
from JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, St Regis, and The Luxury
Collection. Additionally, Marriott International’s unified loyalty
programme, Marriott Bonvoy, will offer more guests unique
experiences in coveted destinations across the region.
“Asia Pacific’s luxury travel industry is one of the fastestgrowing
in the world, driven by markets like China and India.
On top of this, global luxury travellers today are seeking more
than just the opportunity to indulge, they want experiences
that deliver personal meaning and significance,” said Peggy
Fang Roe, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott
International. “In response, Marriott International continues
to grow its footprint and experiential offerings in Asia
Pacific, providing highly contextualized and carefully curated
experiences, allowing luxury travellers to explore their passions
and grow on a personal level,” Fang Roe continued.
The Ritz-Carlton continues its growth in Asia Pacific with four
anticipated openings. The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, which is expected
to open in October, will mark the brand’s return to Australia.
The brand is also slated to bring its legendary service and style
to key markets in in China and India with the opening of The
Ritz-Carlton, Xi’an in June, The Ritz-Carlton, Nanjing in October
and The Ritz-Carlton, Pune in September
MGALLERY BY
SOFITEL TO DEBUT
IN HONG KONG
The Silveri - 33 rd MGallery in Asia
- redefines unique high-end
The MGallery by Sofitel collection is set to make
its debut in Hong Kong this year with The Silveri,
set to open in the second half of 2019.
The new hotel will be the 33rd MGallery by Sofitel in
Asia, and will be part of the Citygate project in the
Tung Chung district of Lantau Island, where it will enjoy
expanded direct connections to the city centre and Hong
Kong international airport, which in a big plus for business
travellers, is only a few minutes away.
“We are delighted to be bringing Accor’s highly acclaimed
MGallery by Sofitel brand to Hong Kong for the first time,
creating a stylish new hotel which will be memorable,
exciting and unique – and disrupt conventional luxury
hospitality in the city”, said Nicholas Cullum, Cluster
General Manager of The Silveri MGallery by Sofitel and
Novotel Citygate.
Designed to mimic a contemporary Manor House, the
hotel will sit in the foothills of Lantau and aim for elegant
luxury with a “comfortable, refined residential feel”.
The interiors will lean heavily towards silver accents as a
reminder of the island’s heritage, while the natural tones
of wood and leather will be contrasted alongside natural
greenery and bodies of water
ASIA - PACIFIC
OUTBOUND TOURISM
Chinese tourists
in Brisbane
INDEPENDENT TRAVEL AND
EVENTS FUEL CHINESE TOURISM
Increase in independent travellers and longer holidays behind outbound surge
Free independent travel, or FIT
for short, is giving a major boost
to Chinese outbound travel,
according to the latest survey by
ForwardKeys.
Analysis of outbound tourism in the first
four months of this year reveals that Free
Independent Travel (FIT) grew by 12.7%.
The travel intelligence company also
attributed the rise in Chinese travellers
to the way the Chinese government has
allocated public holidays, thus creating
more opportunities for people to take
breaks abroad.
The growth is a direct consequence of “two
major trends, an increased enthusiasm
for travel independently, as opposed to
in groups, and more people are seizing
the opportunity to travel abroad over
major public holidays,” explained Oliver
Ponti, VP Insights at ForwardKeys, which
forecasts travel trends by analysing over
17-million flight booking transactions a
day.
“It reflects a growing confidence in
doing one’s own thing”, said Olivier,
“particularly in the case of younger and
more experienced travellers.”
The trends were particularly marked
during the Chinese New Year, at the end
of January and early February, which is the
busiest time for Chinese outbound travel.
Chinese FIT outbound travel grew by
18.8% during 2019’s Chinese New Year
holiday, compared to 2018. FIT travel has
also surged over the last public holidays,
Qingming in April, Labour Day in May and
the Dragon Boat festival in June.
An increase in seat capacity has helped to
fuel the growth in travel to Europe. Over
the past year, seat capacity from China to
London increased by 24.8%, compared
to the year before, thanks to the addition
of nine new routes. Capacity to Paris
increased 8.1%, thanks to five new routes
and capacity to Rome increased 31.7%
from one new route.
In Q2 2019, 88 flights per week were
scheduled between China and the UK, up
from 65 weekly flights in Q2 2018. And
there is more to come, as bilateral trade
agreements provide for further capacity
growth from China to the UK, France and
Italy. The strong growth is being fuelled by
Shanghai, where FIT outbound bookings
for a trip between May and August were
22.4% ahead compared to the same
period in 2018, Guangzhou where they
are 28.7% ahead and eleven second tier
cities which are collectively 25.8% ahead.
This year, several countries have eased
visa regulations in a bid to attract more
Chinese visitors. Singapore now allows
Chinese travellers to enter visa-free for up
to 96 hours, either on the way to a third
destination or on the way back home
and Japan further simplified the visa
application process for Chinese students
and repeat visitors
INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES
Hotel & Tourism
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2019 Summer Edition 35
35
© PeopleImages - iStock by Getty Images
CHANGING TIMES,
CHANGING GENERATIONS,
CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES
In this edition, we take a close up look at
how the younger generation is changing
the way business is done, and what part
technology should play to cater for this.
Indeed, “Gen Z” is growing up in a world
of exceedingly innovative technology.
The majority of them can’t recall a time
before Google, or a world without
smartphones. Their perspective of the
world is what makes them unique. They
think in 4D, wear watches whose primary
function isn’t to tell time, and have
never had the feeling of holding a paper
map in their hands. Gen Z is constantly
connected, with 41% spending 3+
hours a day on computers for nonschool
related activities and preferring to
use 5 screens at once for multi-tasking
(Sparks & Honey). More than eight out
of 10 are hooked on social networks
and more than half of them think that
this is where their social life takes place
(Business Insider). How are brands taking
advantage of this? What are the eventual
threats and dangers for those who don’t?
Read on to discover more.
In The Field
with David Esseryk
THE "INSIDE LINE" ON WHAT'S HOT IN HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGIES
PART 24
GENERATION Z
DISCOVER YOUR FUTURE
CUSTOMERS
MILLENNIALS
&
e-REPUTATION
In this edition of his regular report,
David Esseryk takes a closer look at
how “Gen Z” is starting to impact
the industry, and what we can expect
to see in the future. For hoteliers, it’s
time to get one’s campaigns in a row,
because this determined generation is
the future of travel.
While the elders of Generation Z
turn 21 this year (born after 1995),
members of this age boom are only
starting to show their economic and
social influence. The first true “digital
natives” of our times, members of
this generation have grown up with
technology within their reach since
birth and instant gratification with the
click of a “like.”
Following are some key points to keep
in mind…
THEME #1
WHERE AM I?
Gen Z is particularly
keen to explore
(...) WHEN
GEN Z SETTLES
INTO THEIR TECH-
their temporary
community
t h r o u g h
the lens of a
local perspective,
taking in the signature
experiences of whatever
region they’re visiting. While
boutique hotels and the Airbnb
mind-set understand the importance
of localised experiences, it forces larger
chains to break their homogenous
environment. That means finding a
balance between a demand for variety
and a need for brand consistency. Take
dining, for instance. Rather than pitting
a generic hotel restaurant against a
burgeoning local culinary scene, a
local chef might set up a permanent
restaurant inside a hotel, bringing in
local flavours. Down the hallway, a
local business owner runs a wine bar,
allowing guests to sample and shop
for regional wines on the spot. And
in lieu of the franchised Starbucks,
and an independent cafe in the lobby
encourages guests to mingle with
other visitors.
EQUIPPED HOTEL BED FOR
THE NIGHT, THEIR ZEST
FOR TRAVEL IS FUELLED
BY EXPERIENCES
MORE THAN
PRODUCTS
THEME #2
COMMUNAL EXPERIENCES
Millennials appreciate places like the
gym or the cafe as social hubs. Guests
can sign up for boutique studio classes
taught by local instructors, inviting
people to connect through group
fitness. Or they can opt for in-room
exercise by streaming fitness videos
from celebrity trainers. The same
independent cafe and surrounding
lounge spaces are also designed with
human-centric connectivity in mind:
comfy chairs and casual nooks
where people can work,
relax, or mingle with fellow
travellers.
THEME #3
HIGH TOUCH
AND HI-TECH
Technology plays a
big part in the overall
customer journey, but it’s
more than just offering guests
free Wi-Fi and integrated USB
ports. The advancement of the
Internet of Things (IoT) means smart
TVs, digital room keys, and robot
butlers are contributing to new-age
hotel services. And mobile messaging
apps like Facebook Messenger,
WhatsApp, and custom mobile loyalty
programs make it easier for brands to
build seamless travel experiences.
At the end of the day, when Gen Z
settles into their tech-equipped hotel
bed for the night, their zest for travel
is fuelled by experiences more than
products.
For this generation, it’s apparent they
rely on thoughtful products or services
to facilitate meaningful experiences,
proving that the integration of the two
worlds is now more important than
ever
SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION
INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES
Hotel & Tourism
SMARTreport #43
2019 Summer Edition 37
37
WE SEE THE BLURRING
OF BOUNDARIES BETWEEN
DIRECT SALES AND
CHANNELS
Joseph Wang
Chief Commercial Officer, TravelDaily China
THE “TECH EFFECT”
Technology in the hands of travellers… and in distribution
Joseph Wang, Chief Commercial Officer – TravelDaily China – recently
hosted two key sessions at the ITB China conference this year on the
use by travellers of new digital tools and how technology innovations
will impact the way travel products are distributed and purchased. We
asked him why these topics are so vital today.
China is now the largest source market
for global travel and tourism industry, and
technological innovations are redefining
the way travel products are distributed
and purchased. The behaviour of Chinese
travellers today, especially millennials,
has been changing with the technology
evolution. Mobile, APP, wireless payment,
Big Data, AI etc. and emerging new social
media platforms like WeChat, UGC, short
video APP and live streaming sites are also
impacting the travel behaviour of Chinese
millennials. Travel companies should
try to satisfy this changing demand
through personalisation, for example,
in terms of product development and
brand communication. From the industry
backend perspective, the efficiency of
marketing, operations, training, channel
distribution management especially
supply chain need to be improved, and
technology can help to find a way out of
the dilemma.
In the past, you worked on direct sales
in the hotel business. How have you
seen sales channels evolving in the past
years, and what will people coming to
your sessions learn?
After years of consolidations, OTA has
become a highly concentrated landscape
especially from the traffic perspective. In
the future, big hotel chains are getting
even bigger and will also reach a very
high concentration landscape globally
and regionally through continuous
mergers. Under this situation, we see the
blurring of boundaries between direct
sales and channels so one of the biggest
challenges today to the traditional hotel
sales channels will be the lack of traffic
sources, lack of the abilities of collecting,
storing, cleaning, analysing, identifying
customer data and tagging, the lack of
abilities to differentiate channels and to
connect with all potential partners agilely
and cost effectively. In terms of marketing
and channel strategies, hotels should redesign
their product and sales with an
integrated online and offline presence,
a more relevant content with higher
level of context aware, relevancy and
personalisation, to refine their offering
to the loyalty members in order to
differentiate themselves in the crowd and
to be adapted by different age groups of
the members especially the Millennials
leveraging todays' digital tools. "The right
product should be delivered to the right
audience through right channels at the
right time and to avoid one-size-fits-all."
as someone famous said
SMARTreport Commercial Content
INNOVATIONS & TECHNOLOGIES
THE
IMPORTANCE
OF ONLINE
REVIEWS FOR
HOTELIERS
DIRECT TRANSLATION
THE BOOM IN MULTI-
LINGUAL BLAH-BLAH
If “Ni Hao” is the limit of your Chinese vocabulary, never
fear. Direct translators are increasingly becoming the
norm, enabling interpretation of multiple languages.
Translation Apps are increasingly taking on importance in
this respect, with even Shanghai taxi drivers now able to
“talk” to their clients via their smartphones using locallybased
apps. in the Western world, Google Translate and
Microsoft Translator appear to be dominating.
It is also possible to find dedicated devices. One such
example is that of Beijing Babel Technology, who have
developed the “AIcorrect Translator”.
Online reviews are the new word of mouth for hotels
today. Hoteliers know that a traveller’s buying decision is
influenced by many factors online. According to a report by
hotel marketing agency, Travel Media Group, (TMG) “the
average traveller visits anywhere from four to 38 websites
before booking. More importantly, during the booking
process, travel review websites and apps account for up
to 42% of online sources used, and 89% of travellers say
reviews are influential when deciding where to book.”
So, is getting many reviews is a good way to insure
bookings for hoteliers? Well, simply receiving reviews is
not enough adds the report. “65% of travellers are more
likely to book a hotel that responds to online reviews.”
The device supports real-time mutual translation between
Chinese or English and 30 other languages, including
Japanese, Korean, Thai, French, Russian and Spanish.
Major languages like English are further divided into
accents meaning translation quality can be as high as
96%. It also has a touch screen, where transcription and
translation are shown at the same time.
Over recent years, China has overtaken many other players
in the field of artificial intelligence, with applications
and development for civilian purposes like mobile pay
obtaining remarkable achievements, not to mention
drones and other innovative products.
Lei Guan, CEO of Babel Technology, states, "As a Chinese
pathfinder in the field of AI, we designed the device in
hoping that hundreds of millions of people can have
access to it and carry out cross-linguistic communication
all barrier-free"
This increase value on engagement is a constant across
social media. Although some will stop at sharing content,
engaging with customer reviews, good or not, shows that
the hotel cares about their guests.
“78% of guests say that managers who respond to
reviews care more about their guests. Travellers today are
looking for an experience, not just a place to sleep, and
travellers believe a hotelier who responds to concerns and
praise will likely also provide better service during their
stay,” adds the report