ITB Asia News 2019 Preview Edition

THURSDAY 

10 OCTOBER 2019 

PREVIEW 

EDITION 

CONTENTS 

2 NEWS 

10 TRADE TALK 

11 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 

13 SPECIAL FEATURE: 

WELLNESS TOURISM 


CITY BREAKS 


MEDICAL TOURISM 

18 REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: 

AMERICAS & CARIBBEAN 

22 WHERE TO GO IN 

SINGAPORE 

NEWS 

Katrina Leung 

Managing Director, Messe Berlin 

(Singapore) 

Our conference sessions are 

designed to get attendees to 

rethink how they understand the 

industry. See page 7 

TRADE TALK 

Taking nations to Asia 

ITB Asia returns with highest ever number of 

participating National Tourism Organisations 

Demand from National and Regional 

Tourism Organisations at this year’s ITB Asia 

is up around 25% compared to 2018. There 

has been unprecedented exhibition demand, 

with 110 NTOs and RTOs registered at last 

count; a new record. Largest exhibition 

spaces registered are from Indonesia, Russia 

and South Korea. 

“NTOs and RTOs are the backbone for 

creating established inbound and outbound 

travel. The increased interest and high 

confirmed demand for exhibition space from 

NTOs and RTOs at ITB Asia 2019 affirms the 

value associated with ITB Asia as the leading 

travel trade show for Asia and beyond,” said 

Katrina Leung, Managing Director, Messe 

Berlin (Singapore), organiser of ITB Asia. 

The growth in NTO participation comes at a 

time when OTAs are also seeing increased 

contact with these organisations when it 

comes to winning the eyes of more potential 

travellers, and the methods of OTAs are 

evolving rapidly (see our exclusive interview 

with Angel Llull Mancas, Vice President and 

Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Booking. 

com page 11). 

Christopher Lee 

Founder of venuexplorer.com.sg 

Our acquisition by hotelplanner. 

com will definitely broaden our 

canvas and we are really thrilled 

about this partnership. See page 10 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT: 

AMERICAS 

& CARIBBEAN 

Angel Llull Mancas 

Vice President and Managing Director, 

Asia-Pacific, Booking.com 

Bahruz Hamzaev 

Strategy Advisor to the State Committee for 

Tourism Development, Uzbekistan 

People from Malaysia and 

Indonesia are increasingly attracted 

to our country. See page 12 

In the Americas, with growth 

in inbound tourist figures 

in the first half of 2019 at 

2%, results improved in 

the second quarter after a 

weak start to the year. The 

Caribbean (+11%) benefitted 

from strong US demand 

and continued to rebound 

strongly from the impact of 

hurricanes Irma and Maria in 

late 2017, a challenge which 

the region unfortunately faces 

once again. Discover more 

about leading players from 

the Americas at ITB Asia this 

year, from page 18.

2 NEWS 

PREFACE 

Finding the 

opportunities 

As travel distribution becomes 

more complex in a challenging 

market, with competition 

coming from all angles, at 

the same time there are 

opportunities opening-up from 

others. The industry players 

opening the gates to success 

will no doubt be those with 

the most innovative strategies. 

These strategies must be based 

on a clear understanding of 

industry trends, underlining the 

vital nature of the keynotes and 

conferences at ITB Asia. 

The conference sessions this 

year are set to deliver a series 

of themes, including Corporate 

Travel, Destination Marketing, 

Muslim Travel and Travel 

Technology. Attendees will have 

the opportunity to experience 

over 200 sessions led by more 

than 260 speakers. Alongside 

this event, ITB Asia 2019 will 

share the Sands Expo and 

Richard Barnes 

Editor-in-chief 

Convention Centre at the Marina 

Bay Sands with its inaugural 

co-event, MICE Show Asia. At 

MICE Show Asia, attendees will 

get to hear about forecasts for 

the global meeting and events 

industries in 2020, and how the 

industry is transforming. 

Keynote sessions (outlined 

on page 7) explore practical 

applications for businesses to 

keep pace with technological 

developments in the travel 

industry. In particular, the 

Keynote session on Day Three 

will also highlight evolving 

opportunities presented by the 

new Chinese traveller. 

This exceptional knowledgebase, 

an integral part of ITB 

Asia, is a not-to-be-missed part 

of your visit. The goal is to leave 

with more (mental) baggage 

than you arrived with – which is 

okay, as it’s easy to carry! 

New ideas… 

new exhibitors… 

It’s all about diversity. As with 

other ITB shows, exhibitors at 

ITB Asia 2019 are drawn from 

a wide range of companies 

and representatives from 

travel agencies and operators, 

business travel and MICE, travel 

technology, accommodation, 

and transport. The eleventh 

edition of ITB Asia last year 

saw more than 127 countries 

represented, making this the most 

international travel trade show in 

the region. The show proved to be 

an especially effective business 

platform, with one in two buyers 

signing contracts with exhibitors. 

The strongest participation this 

year comes from Asia, 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. 

South Asia will also see a larger 

presence as new exhibitors such 

as Bhutan, the Maldives, and 

Sri Lanka join the show, while 

Central Asia is represented by 

Uzbekistan which will be taking 

part for the first time. 

Europe has seen a 37.8% increase 

in the number of exhibitors 

buoyed by an increased 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. New RTOs from East 

Bavaria, Franconia, Frankfurt and 

Magdeburg will also be part of a 

larger German contingent with 

existing destinations like Berlin 

and Saxony, present at ITB Asia 

2019. 

This year will see oneworld, 

taking part as the Official Airline 

Alliance for the first time. 

The stunning growth in exhibitor 

demand is fuelled by growth in 

tourism globally. The UNWTO, 

highlighted that tourism is one 

of the most powerful drivers 

of economic growth and 

development. The predicted 

target of 1.4 billion international 

tourist arrivals by 2020 was 

reached in 2018. The Asia-Pacific 

region contributed 343 million 

international tourist arrivals into 

the region for 2018, a growth 

of 6% compared to the previous 

year 

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ITB Asia show floor 2018 

ITB ASIA NEWS • Thursday 10 October 2019 

www.itb-asia-news.com

6 

FLOOR PLAN 

STAND J19 - BASEMENT 2 STAND G23 - BASEMENT 2 

STAND Q26 - BASEMENT 2 

STAND B10 - BASEMENT 2 



NEWS 

7 

A stellar line up 

of industry giants 

ITB Asia keynote sessions to explore ways to keep pace with 

technological developments in the travel industry 

Katrina Leung 

Managing Director , 

Messe Berlin (Singapore) 

Attendees during the Opening 

Keynote at ITB Asia 2018 

ITB Asia is set to deliver a series of keynote presentations 

this year in line with the theme, “Bold Thoughts, Bold 

Moves”. 

The keynote sessions will 

focus on sharing innovative 

ideas, where attendees can 

expect to gain knowledge on 

practical applications to keep 

pace with industry changes. 

Recognising the revolutionary 

impact of technology on the 

travel industry, speakers from 

leading online travel agencies 

(OTA), travel-related partners 

and technology companies will 

share their perspectives on how 

businesses can innovate and 

leverage on technology as they 

tackle the challenges of this era. 

“By bringing together leading 

industry experts in the keynote 

sessions, ITB Asia will get to the 

heart of today’s complex travel 

issues. We will discuss major 

game-changing issues within 

the industry and strategies on 

innovating business models in 

order to remain competitive. 

As the industry continues to 

evolve, attendees want to 

gain more than just insights of 

what leading businesses do to 

remain at the top. Through our 

sessions, they will be equipped 

with actionable steps on how to 

drive their business forward,” 

said Katrina Leung, Managing 

Director of Messe Berlin 

(Singapore), the organiser of 

ITB Asia. 

The show will open with a 

keynote session on managing 

industry’s biggest pain points. 

The session on 16 October 

brings together experts from 

the biggest pillars in the travel 

industry – accommodation, 

distribution and technology: 

Booking.com and IBM. 

Addressing the industry’s 

common challenges, topics will 

include how businesses can 

ready themselves for the next 

wave of growth; rethinking 

and reinventing distribution 

strategies; and how the travel 

industry can capitalise on the 

digital revolution to succeed. 

“Technology plays a critical role 

at every phase of a personalised 

traveller journey, helping to 

deliver a seamless, connected 

trip by enabling localisation 

and consumer insights,” said 

Angel Llull Mancas, Vice 

President and Managing 

Director for Asia-Pacific for 

Booking.com. “Constant 

innovation in how we optimise 

the customer experience will 

be key to continued growth 

and expansion in the highly 

competitive and diverse Asian 

Market.” 

DAY TWO’S KEYNOTE 

PANEL TO DISCUSS 

ACTIONS TO ADAPT 

TO EVOLVING 

INDUSTRY 

ITB Asia 2019’s keynote panel 

on 17 October, “The Future 

of Travel Distribution”, will 

identify business solutions for 

challenges faced by the sector 

during a time of uncertainty. 

The discussion will be led 

by senior executives from 

Agoda, Expedia Group, Google, 

TripAdvisor and Wego. They 

will answer the big “Where to 

next?” question, as they explore 

the rapidly changing travel 

industry, new technological 

advancements, and implement 

diverse distribution strategies 

to improve the consumer 

experience. 

“People make up to 50 searches 

before deciding on a flight, 

and shopping around for value 

is the norm for many global 

leisure and business travellers. 

Making it simpler to compare 

fares, understand inclusions, 

recognise value adds while also 

delivering unique ways to save 

remains core to our technology 

development. As an industry, 

we’re working towards a 

more personalised experience 

for travellers, and a more 

integrated and seamless supplydistribution 

relationship ahead,” 

said Demi Kavaratzis, Partner 

Marketing Director, Commercial 

Strategy and Services, Expedia 

Group. 

MAXIMISING 

OPPORTUNITIES 

FROM THE NEW 

CHINESE TRAVELLER 

In addition to the discussions 

of the travel industry’s three 

pillars, ITB Asia 2019 will also 

feature a keynote panel on 18 

October focused on the new 

Chinese traveller, of which 

their overseas consumption 

is predicted to grow as large 

as US$120bn as preferences 

evolve. Titled, “The New 

Chinese Travellers”, industry 

leaders will examine the 

growing significance of this 

market. Amongst notable 

industry experts are Booking. 

com, OYO China and Tujia, who 

will analyse the preference shift 

in the range of destinations, 

products and brands of 

interest, as well as maximising 

opportunities from this market 

ITB ASIA NEWS • Thursday 10 October 2019

8 NEWS 

© SPECTRUM images 

OUR 

CONFERENCE 

SESSIONS ARE 

DESIGNED TO GET 

ATTENDEES TO 

RETHINK HOW 

THEY UNDERSTAND 

THE INDUSTRY 

A speaker during 

a conference 

at ITB Asia 2018 

Winning 

the hearts of 

MICE buyers 

The inaugural MICE Show Asia 

conference aims to redefine industry 

practices and identify new trends that 

will shape the future of MICE events 

As the MICE industry is highly competitive, the long-term 

success of MICE players remains contingent on their ability to 

understand and anticipate their customers’ needs. To explore 

this notion, the first ever MICE Show Asia 2019’s featured 

panel discussion will see industry experts challenge and 

provide new perspectives on archetypal approaches to the 

MICE buyer-seller paradigm. 

Thus, the inaugural MICE Show 

Asia, which takes place alongside 

ITB Asia 2019 in Singapore 

between 16 - 18 October, has the 

theme of “Winning the Hearts of 

MICE Buyers”. It is where the 

incentive travel, meetings and 

events industries come together 

to connect and build the future 

of MICE. The annual three-day 

business-to-business trade show 

and convention will feature 

industry suppliers, meetings & 

events professionals to up-andcoming 

MICE innovators from a 

wide range of disciplines, sectors 

and all levels of seniority. 

Across three days, more than 

30 speakers from Convention 

and Visitor Bureaus (CVB), MICE 

buyer organisations, MICE tech 

companies and start-ups, will 

discuss topics ranging from events 

organisation and management, 

technological applications to 

trends forecasting and challenging 

conventional practices. 

MICE Show Asia 2019 features 

a diverse programme of key 

presentations and discussions 

touching on ground-breaking 

developments and opportunities 

that are shaping the industry 

such as sustainability and the 

role of social media for event 

marketing. The show will see 

top buyers’ partners and MICE 

industry players, such as BestCities 

Global Alliance, HelmsBriscoe, 

Professional Convention 

Management Association (PCMA), 

United Networks of International 

Corporate Events Organizers 

(UNICEO), come together to speak 

and share their expertise. 

“The mission of MICE Show Asia 

2019 is to provide industry suppliers 

with the insights and strategies to 

meet ever-evolving buyers’ needs. 

As the MICE scene continues to 

grow, there has never been a 

greater need to bring together 

industry professionals from across 

varied disciplines to share their 

knowledge and perspectives. Our 

conference sessions are designed 

to get attendees to rethink how 

they understand the industry, and 

gain the ability to set themselves 

apart,” said Katrina Leung, 

Managing Director of Messe Berlin 

(Singapore), the organiser of MICE 

Show Asia. 

The speaker panel will include top 

management leaders from Chiba 

Convention Bureau, Elias Events, 

Mix – Asia’s Creative Meetings 

Magazine, Thailand Convention & 

Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and The 

Project Office of the Moscow City 

Tourism Committee. 

In addition to the panel, attendees 

will hear from buyer organisations, 

leading industry players and fastgrowing 

MICE tech companies 

such as American Express 

Meetings & Events, Aventri, 

Cvent, Meetingbox bei Succevo 

GmbH and PouchNATION. With 

discussions focusing on MICE tech, 

improving audience engagement 

and trends forecasting, attendees 

will gain fresh perspectives about 

managing events, including 

catering to different personality 

types, reducing audience attrition, 

and responding to shifting industry 

trends. 

The show will also include a 

keynote session on the power of 

collective intelligence. Breaking out 

from traditional silo-thinking, the 

session will demonstrate the value 

of collaborative and ‘community’ 

approaches to navigate the 

complex promotion and business 

development landscape. 

Start-ups and CVBs are 

also scheduled to introduce 

revolutionary approaches of 

adding value to event experiences. 

CVBs will discuss methods of better 

managing events to cater for the 

audience, including multilingual 

content and virtual events. Startups 

and new players will share 

their expertise on how the running 

of MICE events is being shaken 

up. Highlights will include new 

developments in events space, 

indoor mapping and working with 

Smart Data. 

SHARING THE STAGE 

WITH ITB ASIA 2019 

MICE Show Asia will share the 

Sands Expo and Convention Centre 

at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore 

with ITB Asia 2019. Attendees will 

have full access to both events 



NEWS 

9 

Gran Meliá Chengdu, China 

For the first time, four times Special Events 25 Top DMC and one of the largest 

DMC Groups in the world – Global DMC Network by JTB Group – will feature all of 

its companies during ITB Asia 2019. This “Global Village” debut in Singapore will 

showcase the multi-dimensions and global presence of the Group. The purpose 

of this omnipresence is to display unlimited travel possibilities to (potential) Asia 

Pacific partners. 

“This is the first time that all of our companies are 

present at ITB Asia with a shared booth,’’ says 

Abrar Uppal, Senior Manager Global Marketing 

of the Global DMC Network by JTB Group. “We 

really wish to showcase our strength as One 

Group in Asia Pacific. Are you looking for a 

service not available in a certain destination? 

No problem, another DMC underneath our 

umbrella, which is present in the desired 

destination will take care of all your needs. We 

are proud to be a Global Village.” 

The companies attending are: Tour East 

(Tours in Top 10 Experiences TripAdvisor in 

Singapore), JTB Global Marketing and Travel 

(Japan Inbound), LOTTE JTB (South-Korea 

Inbound), Kuoni Global Travel Services, 

Tumlare Destination Management (Europe), 

Europamundo Vacaciones (Seat-in-Coach Tour 

Operator), TPI (Americas) and - for the first 

time ever - MC&A, Inc. (Hawaiian Islands and 

Handara Golf & Resort Bali was recently 

announced as the winner in Best Golf Resort 

Destination and Best Wedding Resort in 2019 

by the Asia Pacific Tourism Travel Awards. The 

golf club and resort has already been ranked 

among the “Top 50 Golf Courses in The Word” 

by Golf Magazine and was chosen as the 2015 

winner of the “Best Golf Hotel in Indonesia” 

by the prestigious Word Golf Awards. Located 

away from the hustle and bustle of Bali’s tourist 

areas, up in the mountains of Bedugul, 1400m 

above sea level, the Handara Golf Resort Bali is 

a great getaway to escape the heat! 

STAND G05- BASEMENT 2 

The new website for 

Global DMC Network 

by JTB Group brings 

together all players in 

one place 

Global DMC Network by JTB 

Group brings all DMCs to ITB 

Asia 2019 for first time 

USA destination and event management and 

conference planning). 

The European side of the Network 

accommodates to the trend: e.g., Tumlare 

Destination Management offers igloo tours and 

Small Groups in Chinese in the Eastern European 

and Scandinavian regions. The recent possibility 

from October 1st 2019 to obtain an e-visa for St. 

Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast area for 

many APAC travellers will simplify the process 

for Guaranteed Departure tours to Russia. 

On the East Asian side, JTB Global Marketing & 

Travel Inc., focuses on presenting the essence 

of Japanese hospitality as well as specialist 

knowledge in a Japan getting ready to host two 

of the biggest sports events in the world. One 

kicked off in late September 

STAND J12 - BASEMENT 2 

Bali’s Handara Resort arrives at ITB 

Asia with major awards in hand 

The Handara Golf & Resort in Bali 

TRAVELCARMA 

TO SHOWCASE 

ITS TRAVEL 

TECHNOLOGIES 

AT ITB ASIA 

The booking technology 

specialists TravelCarma will 

be showcasing a whole suite 

of distribution, ERP and TDX 

solutions at ITB Asia. 

The company will showcase its suite 

of travel technology solutions that 

includes: 

Emperia – A Travel ERP Solution 

that helps travel agencies and OTAs 

automate reservations, streamline 

back office processes and centrally 

manage distribution 

Adventia – A package booking solution 

for tour operators that allows them 

to load their tour packages online, 

configure B2B markups/commissions 

and allow their agents worldwide to 

log in and make bookings 

E-IMDP – Inventory Distribution 

and Channel Management software 

allowing wholesalers, DMCs and large 

B2B players to manage and distribute 

their contracted inventories via API 

across multiple sales channels 

TDX – A powerful, platform-agnostic 

aggregation engine that can bundle 

multiple requests/responses through a 

unified API. It also enables travel firms 

to tie-up with any partner globally 

without making any change in their 

existing system 

In addition to these solutions, 

TravelCarma will also be showcasing 

exclusive solutions for Umrah 

operators, OTAs and other providers 

targeting Muslim travellers. According 

to a Skift research, Umrah travel is a 

US$220bn market, and Saudi Arabia’s 

Ministry of Hajj and Umrah is exploring 

ways of digitizing and automating the 

reservation and visa processes 

STAND U48 - LEVEL 1 

TravelCarma demo site 


10 TRADE TALK 

THE EVENTS INDUSTRY IS 

EVOLVING WITH NEW 

TECHNOLOGIES AND MORE 

PEOPLE ARE COMING IN TO HIRE 

VENUES AND UNDERGO NEW 

PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCES. 

Christopher Lee 

Founder, Venuexplorer.com.sg 

Meeting MICE demand – 

the right way 

Venueexplorer.com.sg now under the umbrella of Meetings.com 

– at ITB Asia to spread the word and “network” 

Christopher Lee, Founder of venuexplorer.com.sg, talks about 

the recent partnership with Meetings.com, and how the MICE 

market is evolving from a demand point of view. We asked 

him to tell us a little more about his organisation, and how 

he started out in the business. 

I’ve been working in the events 

and entertainment business 

industry for almost 15 years, 

servicing hundreds of corporate 

clients. We started off with simple 

dinners and dance projects, then 

slowly moved into other segments 

such as exhibitions, meetings, 

conferences, weddings and road 

shows. Over time, we gained a pool 

of regular clients who placed their 

trust in us and asked us to manage 

their yearly calendars of projects, 

from sourcing venues to catering 

services and entertainment. 

Nowadays, for venue hiring in 

Singapore, venuexplorer.com.sg 

is emerging as one of the leading 

online venue marketplaces. 

There are more than 100 

venue space options available on 

venuexplorer.com.sg including 

different restaurants, bars, 

country clubs, unique venues like 

karting circuits, Singapore Turf 

Club and many more. In just a few 

clicks, be it corporate or individual, 

one can hire the ideal venue. 

Our acquisition by hotelplanner. 

com will definitely broaden our 

canvas and we are really thrilled 

about this partnership. It is a win 

for both parties. Our target is to 

increase the market share by up to 

300 event spaces by the end of this 

year. By 2020, we are hoping to 

broaden our network to Asia Pacific 

to cover the needs of corporates 

as well as individuals to assist 

them in getting the right venue 

spaces with our highly compatible 

products. The events industry is 

evolving with new technologies 

and more people are coming in 

to hire venues and undergo new 

personalized experiences. All of us 

at venuexplorer.com.sg are really 

eager to be at the lead of these 

changes. 

How hard is it for people to “get 

things right” when booking for 

weddings, conferences, parties, 

product launches, etc., and how 

do you help? 

In general, it can be a real headache. 

But it is very easy and convenient 

to use venuexplorer.com.sg. 

Options available on the platform 

allow consumers to search for 

places of their preferences. 

They can easily search for an 

appropriate place and it lessens 

their difficulties in sourcing for 

good venues. The venuexplorer. 

com.sg platform saves the 

customers from the hassle of 

calling and getting quotations for 

venues. Our platform provides 

the facility of instant booking and 

consumers can hire venues for 

their next events. 

If consumers are unable to search 

for their ideal venue online, they 

can simply ring one of our venue 

experts and they will provide a list of 

suitable venues according to their 

requirements. We are also offering 

a number of other services, such 

as anger management activities, 

bungee jumping, or bike riding for 

corporate travellers. 

What are you seeing as being 

the key trends in terms of 

MICE bookings at the moment? 

It is quite common for many 

corporate travellers and 

individuals to seek distinctive 

venues for their events as they are 

moving away from the traditional 

places such as hotels. Everything 

is now available online and people 

can book hotels, rooms and 

restaurants, but there was no 

facility that offered a one-stop 

online venue booking platform. 

Such a platform can ease the life 

of many people. 

As you are attending ITB Asia, 

what are the main things you will 

be looking for at the show? 

We will share our platform and are 

looking forward to partnerships 

for the growth of our network in 

the Asia Pacific region. 

How important is it for you to 

network at events like this? 

It has great importance for us as it 

definitely helps us in the growth of 

our platform. With this opportunity, 

we will come in direct contact 

with our partners, or client and we 

can personally share the benefits 

and features of our platform 



EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

11 

ASIA IS A 

REGION IN 

WHICH WE’RE 

SEEING 

CONTINUED 

GROWTH AND IT 

CONTINUES TO 

BE A FOCUS 

FOR OUR 

BUSINESS. 

Angel Llull 

Mancas 

Vice President and Managing Director, 

Asia-Pacific, Booking,.com 

The evolution of Booking.com 

in APAC 

Exclusive interview: Angel Llull Mancas, Vice President and Managing 

Director, Asia-Pacific, Booking.com 

The Dutch Online Travel Agency, Booking.com has been present 

in the Asia-Pacific region for 11 years. In an interview with 

Angel Llull Mancas, Vice President and Managing Director, 

Asia-Pacific, Booking.com we asked him about the current 

trends in online bookings in the region. 

With increasing mobile penetration 

globally and consumers in Asia 

being at the forefront of all things 

mobile, travellers are looking to 

their mobile devices to help them 

do more, see more and experience 

more before, during and after 

their trips. Today, more than 50% 

of accommodation reservations 

on Booking.com happen through 

mobile devices. Intra-region travel 

is also burgeoning with the influx 

of low-cost carriers, simplified visa 

processes and growth in supply. 

That being said, we also see similar 

online booking trends that transcend 

the region. Globally, we continue to 

see an increasing overlap between 

business and leisure travel, with 

people increasingly tying personal 

travel into a business trip. We’re 

also seeing a demand for more 

unique experiences and the appetite 

to explore different places to stay. 

Which regions are emerging? 

Asia is a region in which we’re seeing 

continued growth and it continues 

to be a focus for our business. It is 

certainly a region with many unique 

aspects and challenges. On the 

one hand, you have markets such 

as Japan, Singapore and Thailand, 

with an extremely strong inbound 

booker market and well-developed 

tourism industries. There are also 

markets that are just opening up to 

tourists, like Myanmar, and markets 

that are quite fragmented within 

themselves such as Indonesia. It is 

an extraordinary region with many 

complexities and many amazing 

destinations for visitors locally and 

globally to experience. 

How are you working in India? 

India is an important market for 

us where we see a lot of growth 

potential. We opened our first office 

in Mumbai in 2012 with just 4 

employees, and we now have over 

80 employees across 4 offices in 

the country. We offer close to 45k 

properties in the country, which 

represents thousands of listings 

across traditional hotels as well 

as homes, apartments and other 

types of unique places to stay. We 

are a meaningful player today in the 

market, with Booking.com having 

grown at about 68 per cent in 2017- 

18 in terms of supply. 

You have been moving into the 

home and room rental market. 

How is that coming along? 

What most people don’t realise 

is that the first apartment on 

Booking.com was listed in 2000, 

before Airbnb ever even existed. 

Through our rigorous A/B testing, 

also known as bucket testing, we 

learned early on that travellers want 

options in one place. They may not 

always want to stay in a home or in 

a hotel, so showcasing our breadth 

of offerings is what customers want. 

Now, we see other sites following 

suit. Today this is a big and very 

important business for us. We have 

seen over 3 billion guest arrivals at 

Booking.com across all properties 

since 2007, with 750M guest arrivals 

in our alternative accommodations 

segment alone since 2007. Booking. 

com also doesn’t charge customer 

fees. What we’re striving towards 

is providing travellers with the 

widest selection of offerings and 

leveraging technologies like AI and 

machine learning to narrow down 

the options to help them make their 

decisions. 

How important is ITB Asia for you 

as a platform for networking? 

I always look forward to ITB Asia. 

It’s a great moment to catch up with 

many of our key business contacts, 

but also to come together with 

thought leaders from across the 

industry, evaluate the trends that are 

shaping the future of our business 

and get inspired by the incredible 

work that’s being done around Asia 

and throughout the world 


12 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 

Uzbekistan targets “Haj plus” 

market 

With an enormous wealth of Islamic sites, the nation is reaching 

out to the world at ITB Asia 

Bahruz Hamzaev is Strategy Advisor to the State Committee 

for Tourism Development of Uzbekistan. We asked him how 

tourism has been progressing in past years in his nation. 

Inbound tourism has been 

increasing exponentially. In 2016, 

we had 1.3 million tourists. For 

the end of this year, projections 

are for 6.3 million. Every year, 

the number of tourists coming 

to Uzbekistan is doubling. One 

of the main reasons for that is 

the easing of the visa process. 

By 1 January 2020, the number 

of visa-free countries will reach 

86, including China. This is the 

biggest driver of tourist numbers 

in our country. More airlines are 

also flying to Uzbekistan. 

How are you looking to further 

increase tourism figures? 

We would like to diversify. At the 

moment, the core audience is 

generally the baby-boomers. They 

stay longer, they stay in better 

hotels, and their expenditure 

is higher. However, tourism in 

Uzbekistan is seasonal, and we 

would like to change that, so we 

are targeting a younger audience, 

including millennials and solo 

travellers. Uzbekistan is the 

number five safest destination 

globally in the solo travel index. 

It has been one of the safest 

countries for the past ten years. 

So, we would like to increase the 

capacity for tourism, diversify, and 

have more tourists throughout 

the year. 

WE WOULD 

LIKE TO 

INCREASE THE 

CAPACITY FOR 

TOURISM, 

DIVERSIFY, AND 

HAVE MORE 

TOURISTS 

THROUGHOUT 

THE YEAR. 

How important are the Eastern 

and Southeast Asian markets 

for you? 

They are equally as important 

as Europe. Uzbekistan is mainly 

a Muslim country, with world 

renowned Shrines in Silk 

Road places like Tashkent and 

Bukhara. Samarkand is home 

to dozens of magnificent tombs. 

Notable figures like the emperor 

Tamerlane, the astronomer 

Ulughbek and Kusam Ibn 

Abbas, the cousin of the Prophet 

Muhammad, who brought Islam 

to this land in the 7th Century, are 

all buried here. There is also the 

tomb of the prophet Daniel, or 

Daniyar as Uzbeks call him. 

For this, people from Malaysia 

and Indonesia are increasingly 

attracted to our country. Added to 

this are the facts that we have a 

direct flight from Kuala Lumpur in 

Malaysia, and since the beginning 

of this year, there are regular 

flights from Jakarta, and we have 

the visa-free system for these 

travellers. Our idea is to attract 

more people for Haj “plus”, where 

people can prolong their journey 

with a visit to our sites. Many add 

a third destination after doing 

Mecca and Medina. Now, as we 

have a direct flight, this makes it 

interesting to pass by Uzbekistan. 

Another interesting fact is that 

Indonesia and Malaysia don’t 

have a winter, and Uzbekistan has 

four real seasons, with snow in 

winter and great ski resorts. Many 

of these people have never seen 

snow, so that’s an added plus. 

How important is ITB Asia for 

reaching your potential clients? 

It’s one of the shows that our 

government has listed as “not 

to be missed”. We consider 

the region very important as a 

potential market 

Bahruz Hamzaev 

Strategy Advisor to the State 

Committee for Tourism Development, 

Uzbekistan 

NEW 

TOURIST 

WELCOME 

CENTRES IN 

TASHKENT 

On 22 July, Bekabad and Tashkent districts 

of the Tashkent region on the territory of 

the “Oybek” and “Gisht-Kuprik” checkpoints 

opened two tourist information centres. The 

checkpoints are respectively on the borders 

the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of 

Kazakhstan. 

Earlier, during the visit of the President 

of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the 

Tashkent region a number of tasks were 

set, one of which was the creation of tourist 

information centres at these points. The 

purpose of tourist information centres is to 

provide foreign visitors with all the necessary 

information about the tourist potential of the 

country, accommodation facilities, popular 

destinations and domestic routes. Also, the 

centres provide tourists with handouts in the 

form of booklets, brochures and magazines 

about the regions of the Republic, as well as 

assistance in calling taxis and buying tourist 

SIM cards 



SPECIAL FEATURE 

WELLNESS 

13 

Yoga at the Handara resort, Bali 

Wellness is becoming an essential 

part of the travel industry around 

the world 

Wellness tourism is becoming increasingly important not 

only in Asia but also in other parts of the world. In recent 

years, countries such as Italy, Morocco, Spain or the USA 

are turning into popular destinations for wellness. While Asia 

accounts for some of the most prestigious wellness retreats 

around the world, Europe is still leading in terms of wellness 

trips. 

In its annual Global Wellness 

Trends ,released at the end of last 

year, the Global Wellness Institute 

indicates that the wellness industry 

was worth US$639.4 billion, 

including all the programmes, 

services and products dedicated 

to the wellbeing of people. 

According to GWT, wellness 

tourism is a segment that has been 

growing by 6.5% annually from 

2015-2017 (more than twice the 

growth rate for general tourism) 

with travellers accounting for 830 

million wellness trips in 2017, a 

growth of 139 million trips over 

2015. 

The blossoming of the wellness 

sector in the travel industry is 

driven by the rapid rise of the 

middle class around the world and 

particularly in Asia. According to 

the latest report, Europe remains 

the destination for the largest 

number of wellness trips, while 

North America leads in wellness 

tourism expenditures. 

According to the Global Wellness 

Tourism Economy report, 

“Wellness tourism growth is 

very much a tale of developing 

markets, with Asia-Pacific, Latin 

America-Caribbean, Middle East- 

North Africa, and Sub-Saharan 

Africa accounting for 57 per cent 

of the increase in wellness trips. 

Over the past five years, Asia is 

the number one growth sector in 

both wellness tourism trips and 

revenues.” 

The report indicates that Asia 

Pacific recorded 258 million trips 

with expenditures reaching US$ 

136.7 bn in 2017. The continent 

was second after Europe with 292 

million trips and ahead of North 

America with 204 million trips. 

Growth has been driven by an 

expanding global middle class, 

growing consumer desire to 

adopt a wellness lifestyle, rising 

interest in experiential travel, and 

increasing affordability of flights 

and travel options. 

While there is a trend to practice 

holistic wellbeing at home or in 

a private environment, spas and 

hotels in Asia continue to attract 

travellers looking for a healthy 

mind and body. The continent has 

indeed some of the best renowned 

spas and wellness retreats in the 

world. 

But many countries are now 

looking at promoting wellness 

destinations to their visitors. The 

wellness thematic is also a good 

way for governments to diversify 

their tourist market, by carving 

out a niche which will can help 

reduce seasonality, fighting over 

tourism by promoting secondary 

destinations. 

The well-being factor is also 

accompanied by organic-driven 

gastronomy and eco-consumption 

and the inclusion of the person’s 

wishes. As an example, some 

luxury hotels offer free yoga 

sessions and meditation to their 

guests. A new trend is group of 

travellers bringing their own yoga 

coach. 

Wellness retreats are even 

expanding into urban destinations 

with many brands moving into 

metropolises to create “city oases”. 

As more consumers incorporate 

wellness into their lifestyles, there 

are many opportunities for the 

travel business to infuse wellness 

into their offerings and capture 

spending by wellness travellers 

ACCORDING 

TO THE ANNUAL 

REPORT OF 

GLOBAL 

WELLNESS 

TRENDS, 

WELLNESS 

TOURISM IS A 

SEGMENT THAT 

HAS BEEN 

GROWING BY 

6.5% ANNUALLY 

SINCE 2015- 

2017 WITH 

TRAVELLERS 

ACCOUNTING 

FOR 830 

MILLION 

WELLNESS 

TRIPS IN 2017. 


14 SPECIAL FEATURE 

WELLNESS 

MESASTILA 

RESORT & SPA 

BLENDS 

HISTORY, 

CULTURE AND 

WELLNESS 

Previously known as Losari Coffee 

Plantation, MesaStila Resort and Spa is 

a unique luxury five-star resort and spa. 

Its uniqueness comes from its location 

in Magelan. The resort is surrounded 

by volcanoes and rice paddies, a few 

kilometres away from one of Indonesia’s 

most iconic monuments, Borobudur 

temple. 

Auriga spa, Body Massage 

A rich offering of spa 

resorts at ITB Asia 

The resort has been developed within 

a former coffee plantation perched 

on a hill. Most of the buildings are in 

fact historical constructions. There is 

the villa of the Dutch plantation owner 

which dominates the resort while the 

check-in for the guests is done in a 

former rail station which has been 

rebuilt at the resort. All the rooms are 

located in historic Joglo-villas, typical 

Javanese style houses made of wood 

which were mostly erected in the 19th 

century. 

Numerous exhibitors with spa products will be present 

at ITB Asia this year, many located in Asia, where the 

art of massage is part of the culture. 

From Onsen spas in Japan to 

Indonesian herbal massage, 

from Indian Ayurvedic spas 

to centuries-old traditional 

Thai massages in temples, 

Asia is a continent where the 

spa industry has turned into 

one of the most sophisticated 

in the world. According to 

the Global Wellness Trends 

Report, eight countries in the 

top 20 wellness destinations 

around the world are in 

Asia. The largest number of 

wellness trips were recorded 

in 2017 in China with a total 

of 70.2 million, followed by 

India with 56 million wellness 

trips, followed by Japan with 

40.5 million. 

Many hotel chains in Asia 

even built their reputation 

thanks to their spas. And 

virtually all resorts present at 

ITB Asia from the Maldives 

are equipped with fabulous 

facilities and services. 

Today, all luxury international 

luxury chains in Asia Pacific 

have dedicated facilities. 

Bali also has its share of resorts 

equipped with spas. There 

are the Bali Mandira Resort & 

Spa, the Jayakarta Bali Beach 

Resort & Spa, the Nandini 

Jungle Resort and Spa, Nusa 

Dua Beach Hotel & Spa, the 

Senetan Villas & Spa Resort 

and the Ubud Village Resort 

& Spa. Also in Indonesia, but 

located in Central Java, is the 

MesaStila Resort and Spa 

in the vicinity of the famed 

temple of Borobudur. 

Thailand’s spa resorts include 

the Phuket Graceland Resort 

& Spa, Phuket Marriott Resort 

& Spa, Merlin Beach, the 

Renaissance Pattaya Resort 

& Spa as well as the Kee 

Resort & Spa Phuket. From 

Malaysia, exhibitors such as 

Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota 

Kinabalu and Nexus Resort 

& Spa Karambunai offer 

exceptional services. Both 

are in the state of Sabah on 

the island of Borneo. Another 

property is the Shangri-La’s 

Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in 

Penang. 

Japan is represented with the 

Okinawa Marriott Resort & 

Spa which overlooks the East 

China Sea. Vietnam is home 

to the Hoi-An Resort & Spa in 

the vicinity of the old historical 

town while the Maldives 

presents the Furaveri Island 

Resort & Spa 

The spa also has a historical background. 

Spa therapy at MesaStila takes its 

inspiration from the cultural blend 

brought by traders from the Arabic 

peninsula, China, India and Java. This 

translates into the traditional jamu – a 

medicine made from local herbs that can 

be used for massage but also drunk. With 

its origins in Turkey, MesaStila is proud 

to house an authentic hammam, where 

steam bathing combines functionality 

with cleansing rituals 

STAND G05 - BASEMENT 2 

The infinity pool of the MesaStila 

Resort and Spa 




CITY BREAKS 

15 

LUXEMBOURG CITY 

IS ALSO A PERFECT 

CHRISTMAS 

DESTINATION 

Why not to travel to Luxembourg between 

22 November and 5 January to discover the 

“Winterlights” festival which celebrates the 

Christmas time? 

Jakarta spruces 

up its image 

The Indonesian capital Jakarta is more visitors-friendly than ever. 

The opening of the first MRT line and the renovation of the old 

town are bringing renewed interest to discover the Indonesian 

metropolis. 

If Bali is the largest tourism destination 

for Indonesia by welcoming over six 

million visitors per year, Jakarta is 

coming second. According to data 

from the Central Office of Statistics 

for the Jakarta Region, the capital 

welcomed 2.81 million tourist visits 

last year from overseas, representing 

a market share of 15% of all arrivals. 

Jakarta is indeed turning into a more 

attractive than ever destination. In the 

last decade, Jakarta has seen massive 

investments in its infrastructure. The 

brand-new Terminal 3 at Jakarta 

International Airport, the opening of 

the airport rail link to town and the 

opening of a 50-km section of the 

Jakarta Outer Ring Road 2 are some 

recent examples of the government’s 

commitment to improve the city’s 

mobility. 

First mulled out some 25 years ago, 

Jakarta’s first MRT line opened last 

March. It links the commercial city 

centre where most shopping malls 

and hotels are located along the 

brand new 13 stations on the way to 

South Jakarta. In a second phase due 

to be completed in 2024, the MRT will 

go up to the old town of Jakarta, one 

of the main attractions for visitors to 

the capital. 

Mentioning the old town of Jakarta 

(named Kota by locals), a lot of 

improvement happened over the last 

two years. For a long time, the cradle 

of the city- created over 350 years by 

the Dutch under the name of Bataviahas 

been a huge construction site 

with the renovation of the canals and 

of many historical houses. 

The result was worth the wait. The 

canal area has been totally cleaned 

and transformed into a river walk. 

Museums have been modernized 

while renovated Dutch-style houses 

have been converted into trendy 

coffee shops, eateries as well as art 

galleries. A welcomed transformation 

for visitors! 

STAND G23 - BASEMENT 2 

The Jakarta old town along 

the Kasi Besar canal 

Luxembourg is an excellent alternative for travellers 

looking to enjoy a traditional European Christmas. The 

small capital city is actually an attractive destination 

during the festive season with its atmospheric old 

town living to the rhythm of the “Winterlights” festival. 

Luxemburg City is invaded by giant Christmas trees, a 

Ferris wheel, various carrousels as well as Christmas 

markets that smell of mulled wine and cinnamon 

biscuits. The highlight of the festive season is a giant iceskating 

rink in front of Luxembourg old city hall. 

Hosted for a couple of years, the “Winterlights” festival 

turns the city into a magical and wonderful setting with 

thousands of lights along the streets and avenues of the 

city centre. The event is organized by the Luxembourg 

City Tourist Office in close collaboration with the City 

of Luxembourg. Winterlights is not only about lighting 

Luxembourg squares and streets. They are more than 

200 concerts and events in the heart of the Christmas 

markets of Luxembourg City. 

A good motivation to visit Luxembourg Winterlights 

Festival is the commitment of authorities for an 

environment-friendly event. The lights that illuminate 

the city during the Christmas period consists exclusively 

of low-energy bulbs. The LEDs manage to reduce the 

electricity consumption by 97% while the remaining 3% 

is supplied by so-called “green” electricity. 

The City is stepping up its efforts to promote and maintain 

a clean environment by setting up rules to reduce the 

amount of waste produced. Thanks to the commitment 

of the festival’s organisers and associations that occupy 

Christmas markets booths, meals and drinks offered at 

the Christmas market will be served in containers made 

of reusable materials, such as glass or porcelain. Visitors 

will be able to collect their deposit by returning them to 

the stands 

STAND L27 - BASEMENT 2 

The ‘Winterlights’ festival 

in Luxembourg City 


16 SPECIAL FEATURE 

CITY BREAKS 

The Anchorage skyline 

Old Austro-Hungarian 

atmosphere lives on 

in Zagreb 

Zagreb is an increasingly attractive destination for Asian 

travellers thanks to excellent flight connections and a 

rich history which gives the Croatian capital a lot of 

charm. 

Wildlife in the city: 

Alaska runs wild and 

free in Anchorage 

Only in Anchorage can you meet a moose, walk on a glacier and 

explore a vast, natural park all in a single day. Between mountains 

and an inlet, surrounded by national parks and filled with Alaska 

wildlife, Anchorage combines the best of Alaska in a city that has 

the comforts of home and the hospitality of the Last Frontier. 

Alaska’s largest city and 

transportation hub excites the 

visitors’ senses with urban delights 

and wild sights. The city combines 

the best of city amenities such as 

world-class dining, comfortable 

lodging and cultural touchpoints 

with the vast beauty and wildness 

that is Alaska. Travellers can look 

for an urban moose, walk on a 

glacier, and escape to a national 

park all in one day. Winter fun 

includes aurora viewing, downhill 

and cross-country skiing, dog 

mushing and winter festivals. 

Diverse populations such as moose, 

Dall sheep, black and brown bear, 

grizzlies, lynx, fox, coyote, beluga 

whales, salmon, wolves and 

fascinating species of birds live in 

abundance in Anchorage’s big back 

yard. 

HOTEL NEWS 

The boom in midtown hotel building 

is at a crescendo with the opening 

of StayBridge Suites and Hyatt 

Place. StayBridge Suites opened 

December 2018. StayBridge is off A 

Street along Calais Drive and has 

suites equipped with full kitchens. 

Hyatt Place opened in Anchorage in 

May of 2019. The property on Tudor 

Road has 133 rooms. The Lakefront 

Anchorage brings Lake Hood closer 

to guests. Alterations to exterior 

landscaping allow the hotel to offer 

a new set of lake view rooms. Guests 

can watch the sun slowly set as float 

planes taxi, take off and land at an 

Alaska floatplane base. 

NEW VESSELS FOR 

GLACIER AND WILDLIFE 

CRUISES IN PRINCE 

WILLIAM SOUND 

Phillips Cruises and tours has 

added a new vessel, the Bravest, 

to the day cruise offerings from 

the port town of Whittier. The new, 

high-speed catamaran can carry 

285 passengers. The vessel is the 

company’s third exploring Prince 

William Sound. Meanwhile, Lazy 

Otter’s new boat, the Voyager is a 

46-foot, 30-passenger catamaran, 

specially designed for glacier and 

wildlife cruises 

STAND P05 - BASEMENT 2 

Zagreb is a concentration of 

what the Austro-Hubngarian 

Empire used to stand for. The 

city bears the charm of Croatian 

hospitality with its little inns 

and cellars offering traditional 

Croatian gastronomy and 

wines. Its old town offers 

striking similarities with Buda 

hill in Budapest with its small 

baroque-style houses and its 

churches. However, it is far 

less crowded. 

Its 19 th century town reflects 

the grandeur of the Austrian 

empire. Monuments along 

its large avenues such as the 

National Theatre, the Croatian 

Fine Arts Museum, the 

University or the Art Pavilion 

all set along large parks 

remind us of Vienna. Zagreb is 

also an interesting destination 

for art lovers thanks to a large 

number of local painters and 

sculptors. 

Visitors should also take time 

to visit Zagreb’s Christmas 

market, which has been awared 

several times as “Europe’s Best 

Christmas Market”. 

The Croatian capital is easily 

accessible for travellers from 

overseas. The city is one of the 

few in Central Europe to benefit 

of a non-stop connection 

to Asia thanks to Korean Air 

and also via Istanbul with 

Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa 

via Frankfurt or Munich or 

Austrian Airlines via Vienna. 

From a total of 19.7 million 

foreign tourist arrivals in 2018, 

1.4 million overseas travellers 

visited Zagreb, up by 16.6%. 

giving the city a market share 

of 7%. Growth is stimulated 

by rising numbers from Asia, 

especially from Korea, Hong 

Kong, Taiwan, and Japan. 

Overseas visitors from 

Asia come to Zagreb for 

the cultural, historical and 

culinary experience that 

the city has to offer. In the 

Zagreb countryside, they can 

enjoy wine routes, biking 

tours as well as agritourism 

experiences. Shopping is also 

turning increasingly popular, 

especially with the opening 

of the Designer Outlet Croatia 

complex in Rugvica, near to 

the Croatian capital. Next for 

promotion stands now health 

tourism destination with spas 

and thermal sources 

STAND L25 - BASEMENT 2 

 

Zagreb Ban Jelacic Square 

in the city 




MEDICAL TOURISM 

17 

THAILAND IS 

COURTING TOURISTS 

FOR MEDICAL CARE 

Penang tops 

Malaysia’s list for 

medical tourism 

With no less than seven private hospitals participating in medical 

tourism in Penang, the island destination accounts for the major 

share of Malaysia’s medical tourism – which accounts for over a 

million annual arrivals in the country. 

Hospitals such as Pantai Mutiara 

Hospital, Lam Wah Ee Hospital, 

Mount Miriam Cancer Hospital, 

Loh Guan Lye Specialist Hospital, 

Gleneagles Hospital, Penang 

Adventist Hospital and Island 

Hospital are favourites in Penang 

for care-seekers from Thailand and 

Australia. 

Annual growth in medical tourism 

arrivals to Malaysia is expected 

to continue at around 15%. But 

why is medical tourism so strong 

in Malaysia, and in particular in 

Penang? Malaysia Healthcare 

Travel Council CEO, Sherene Azli 

believes the selling proposition that 

is strongest on top of the quality of 

the medical care is the affordability: 

“Due to heavy market regulation 

under the Ministry of Health, 

with fee schedules and price 

capping, our doctors cannot 

overcharge patients. This is especially 

comforting for patients coming from 

abroad, knowing that not only do 

we provide world class quality 

and immediate accessibility, 

but we are also very affordable. 

Within this region, the stronger 

players are Malaysia, Thailand, and 

Sherene Azli 

CEO, Malaysia Healthcare 

Travel Council 

historically, Singapore. Singapore 

however have priced themselves 

out, as they are three to four times 

more expensive than Malaysia. 

Thailand is priced higher than us, at 

around double our prices.” 

According to Azli, a big growth 

market is China. “Our largest 

market is currently Indonesia, 

which accounts for 50% to 60% of 

our arrivals. Last year we exceeded 

our target of 1 million arrivals and 

close to 60% are Indonesians. That 

being said, we are seeing growth 

from other ASEAN countries like 

Myanmar and Vietnam – so 

much so that we have started 

opening representative offices 

in these two countries. At the 

same time, we have seen doubledigit 

growth from China. China is 

growing – especially for fertility, 

India is also on the rise. Southeast 

Asia’s population is 690 million, 

combined with 1.4 bn in China and 

1.2 bn in India we have quite a large 

volume of potential healthcare 

travellers” 

STAND C05 - BASEMENT 2 

Thailand is not only known for its temples or its 

beaches but also for its excellent healthcare. The 

Tourism Authority of Thailand is aware that medical 

tourism brings to the country and has launched 

various initiatives to facilitate the development of 

medical tourism in line with government’s directive 

to promote Thailand as a regional hub for medical 

and wellness tourism. 

Health and wellness is one of 

a number of niche markets 

being promoted by TAT 

under the marketing concept 

of “Amazing Thailand: Open 

to the New Shades.” Some of 

the promising demographic 

segments include senior 

citizens, millennials and 

working women. 

Thailand is indeed one of 

the world’s most popular 

health and wellness tourism 

destinations, ranging 

from prevention to cure. 

Traditionally, Thailand was 

mostly visited for medical 

purposes from countries 

such as Cambodia, Lao PDR, 

India, Indonesia and the Gulf 

countries. 

“Over the years, demand 

has been emerging 

from countries such as 

Myanmar, Australia and 

Russia,” explained Srisuda 

Wanapinyosak, TAT Deputy 

Governor of International 

Marketing -Europe, Africa, 

Middle East and Americas 

Back in 2017, the Kingdom 

introduced a special 90-day 

visa for citizens of China, 

the Mekong countries 

(Cambodia, Lao PDR, 

Myanmar and Vietnam) 

as well as Gulf countries 

(GCC) who come for 

medical purposes. The visa 

is delivered with a special 

confirmation letter sent by a 

list of hospitals or healthcare 

centres approved by the 

Ministry of Public Health to 

make an appointment. More 

than 100 hospital and health 

facilities are listed on the 

ministry list. 

Recently, Thailand 

experienced the opening of 

Asia’s first hotel resort with 

an inhouse medical team. 

In the heart of Bangkok, 

Mövenpick BDMS Wellness 

Resort Bangkok is a very 

different style of hotels than 

other properties of the group. 

The resort hotel features 293 

rooms and suites overlooking 

a garden with an adjacent 

clinic proposing various 

wellbeing programs. The 

Mövenpick BDMS Wellness 

Resort is a brand new concept 

of holistic hospitality 

STAND E05 - BASEMENT 2 

Medical travellers are able to combine visits to local 

markets and sites with medical services in local clinics. 


18 REGION 


Las Vegas 

FACTS & FIGURES 

Growth of 2% in international 

arrivals for the Americas in first 

half 2019 

Overall, international tourist arrivals grew 4% from January to 

June 2019, compared to the same period last year, according 

to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Growth was 

led by the Middle East (+8%) and Asia and the Pacific (+6%). 

International arrivals in Europe grew 4%, while Africa (+3%) 

and the Americas (+2%) enjoyed more moderate growth. 

The drivers of these results were 

strong economy, affordable air 

travel, increased air connectivity 

and enhanced visa facilitation. 

However, weaker economic 

indicators, prolonged uncertainty 

about Brexit, trade and 

technological tensions and rising 

geopolitical challenges, have 

started to take a toll on business 

and consumer confidence, as 

reflected in a more cautious 

UNWTO Confidence Index. 

In the Americas (+2%), results 

improved in the second quarter 

after a weak start to the year. The 

Caribbean (+11%) benefitted from 

strong US demand and continued 

to rebound strongly from the impact 

of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 

late 2017, a challenge which the 

region unfortunately faces once 

again. North America recorded 

2% growth, while Central America 

(+1%) showed mixed results. In 

South America, arrivals were 

down 5% partly due to a decline 

in outbound travel from Argentina 

which affected neighbouring 

destinations. 

Statistics from the US National 

Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) 

indicate that the biggest growth in 

Asian outbound travellers towards 

the United States last year came 

from Singapore, with a hike of 

26.6% from 254,000 travellers in 

2017 to 332,000 in 2018. A rise of 

16.5% in Indian travellers, up to a 

total of 2.756 million in 2018 was 

also noted. The biggest outbound 

market from Asia to the USA 

remains Japan, last year with 6.987 

million travellers, a rise of 9.9% over 

2017. China remains the number 

two market from Asia, with a rise 

of around 4% y/y to a total of 5.744 

million arrivals in 2018. 

Other key figures for Asian 

outbound travellers to the US 

include (x million): 

South Korea – 4.421 (+8.1%) 

Taiwan – 0.956 (+12.3) 

Philippines – 0.620 (+15.5%) 

Vietnam – 0.245 (+13%) 

Outbound travel from the USA, the 

world’s second largest spender, 

remained solid (+7%), supported by 

a strong dollar. In Europe, spending 

on international tourism by France 

(+8%) and Italy (+7%) was robust, 

though the United Kingdom (+3%) 

and Germany (+2%) reported more 

moderate figures. 

The UNWTO outlook for 

international tourist arrivals 

projects growth of +2% to +3% for 

the Americas, against a global 

forecast of +3% to +4%. Prolonged 

uncertainty about Brexit, 

intensified trade and technological 

tensions between the United States 

and China, and rising geopolitical 

challenges may take a toll on 

business and consumer confidence 

in certain countries or regions 




REGION 

19 

Brand USA woos 

Chinese market 

The US destination marketing organisation arrives at ITB 

Asia fresh from its 13 th annual leadership summit in Seattle 

Brand USA, the destination marketing organisation 

for the United States, joined the Ministry of Culture 

and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, to 

host the 13 th annual US-China Tourism Leadership 

Summit in Seattle, Washington, between 18 and 20 

September. 

According to most recent 

NTTO statistics, the United 

States welcomed 3 million 

visitors in 2018 from China, 

with 85% being repeat 

visitors. China ranks as the 

number one market for US 

tourism exports at US$34.6 

bn and remains in the top five 

in visitor volume at around 3 

million arrivals in 2018. 

The summit was an 

opportunity to build and 

strengthen relationships 

between US and Chinese 

travel and tourism industry 

leadership and government 

officials. Participants 

emphasised the important 

contribution of travel and 

tourism to the world’s two 

largest economies. Attendees 

included executives and 

officials at state, provincial, 

and city level destination 

marketing organisations, 

industry association heads, 

tour operators and online 

travel agents, attractions and 

transportation companies. 

In a keynote speech at the 

summit, Li Yaying, chief of the 

Chinese tourism delegation, 

said the two countries were, 

for each other, important 

sources of tourists and 

destinations, with Chinese 

travellers spending a total of 

over US$30bn in the United 

States in 2018. 

“Over the years, the 

discussions that have 

taken place at and around 

this summit have proven 

mutually beneficial to 

improve strategies for 

tourism marketing in 

the United States and 

China,” said Christopher L. 

Thompson, president and 

CEO of Brand USA. “As a 

result, the industry has made 

significant contributions to 

economic development, the 

balance of trade and better 

cultural understanding in 

both countries.” 

The theme of “culture 

and tourism” resonated 

throughout the event. 

Attendees were immersed 

© WTTC 

Christopher 

L. Thompson 

CEO, Brand USA 

in discussions and 

presentations centred 

around best practices in 

marketing, travel and 

tourism trends, and current 

issues impacting the 

industry. Panellists examined 

the evolution of the China 

market, the importance of 

inspiring travellers through 

storytelling, and how the 

USA is adapting to meet 

technological expectations 

of Chinese visitors. 

Brand USA has several 

China-specific consumer 

marketing campaigns, 

robust travel trade outreach 

programs, and cooperative 

marketing and features heavy 

digital and social presence 

across established and 

emerging Chinese channels. 

Given the importance of 

the market, Brand USA 

has created a dedicated 

Chinese website, GoUSA. 

cn. Brand USA also works 

closely with the US embassy 

and consulates and has 

established representation 

offices in Beijing, Chengdu, 

Guangzhou, and Shanghai, 

to assist in reaching the 

travel trade 


BRAND USA 

RELEASES ROI 

STATISTICS 

A new study by Oxford Economics 

has revealed that Brand USA’s 

marketing efforts are generating 

a high return on investment (ROI) 

and driving significant incremental 

international visitation and spend. 

The Oxford Economics study includes 

an analysis of Brand USA’s work in nine 

markets – Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, 

Germany, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, and 

the United Kingdom—and also considers 

the organisation’s total impact in other 

international markets where Brand USA’s 

marketing was active during the year via 

consumer, trade outreach, and cooperative 

marketing programs. 

The report shows the US DMO has driven 

strong results over the past six years, 

including record results in Fiscal Year 2018 

(FY2018) for incremental international visitor 

spending, tax revenues generated, and total 

economic impact. 

Highlights of the study show Brand USA’s 

marketing efforts in FY2018 alone (October 1, 

2017 – September 30, 2018) helped drive 1.13 

million incremental international visitors to 

the USA who spent US$4.1 bn on travel and 

fare receipts with US carriers, and generated 

US$1.17 bn in federal, state, and local taxes 

and US$8.9 bn in total economic impact. 

The resulting FY2018 marketing ROI was 

32:1—meaning that every $1 Brand USA 

spent on marketing generated $32 spent by 

international visitors 

Space Needle 

with skyline and Mount 

Rainier at sunset 

© Seattle archives 


20 REGION 


Downtown, Los Angeles 

Artist rendering of the 

Automated People Mover 

train heading into Los Angeles 

International Airport 

Massive new transport project 

launched in Los Angeles 

Combination of an “automatic people mover” and new metro service 

will put city and coast more than ever in reach of travellers 

Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board arrives at ITB Asia 

with some major travel trump-cards up its sleeve. 

With the US$1.766bn Crenshaw/ 

LAX transit project due for 

completion in 2020, travellers 

arriving at LAX will have access to 

the Metro Green Line, linking them 

to downtown LA or Santa Monica. 

The metro line will link to a new 

“APM”, or automatic people mover 

system, connecting passengers 

to an Intermodal Transportation 

Facility (ITF) via a Consolidated 

Rent-A-Car Center (CONRAC), 

on to the Central Terminal Area 

of the Los Angeles International 

Airport (LAX). The APM will be 

approximately three kilometres 

long and will include six stations – 

three in the Central Terminal Area 

and three outside of the airport at 

other LAWA facilities such as the 

CONRAC and ITF. 

The Automated People Mover 

(APM) is an electric train system 

on a 3.6km elevated guideway with 

six stations total – three inside the 

Central Terminal Area (CTA) and 

three outside. 

Los Angeles International Airport 

(LAX) broke ground on the APM 

project in March of 2019 and 

anticipates that the system will 

be operational in 2023. The 

ongoing US$14bn transformation 

to reimagine the LAX airport 

experience across all terminals 

also sees a new Midfield Satellite 

Concourse being opened in 2020, 

adding 12 new aircraft gates. 

2018 – RECORD 

TOURIST NUMBERS 

FOR LOS ANGELES 

Los Angeles reached an historic 

milestone in 2018, welcoming 

50 million visitors for the first 

time ever and accomplishing the 

destination’s ambitious tourism 

goal two years early. The new 

record is 1.5 million visitors higher 

than 2017’s total – a 3.1% increase 

– marking the eighth-consecutive 

year of tourism growth for Los 

Angeles. In surpassing 50 million 

total visitors, Los Angeles set new 

tourism records for domestic and 

international visitation, hosting an 

estimated 42.5 million domestic 

visitors (3% increase) and 7.5 

million international visitors (3.6% 

increase). 

Chinese visitors – many of whom 

stay in the LAX area – continue 

to drive international growth. 

Los Angeles is their No. 1 US 

destination with 1.2 million visitors 

who spend US$1.6 bn – by far the 

top international spenders. While 

LA Tourism has four full-time 

offices in China (Beijing, Shanghai, 

Guangzhou and Chengdu), it is also 

investing in emerging international 

markets in Scandinavia, India and 

South Korea. 

Ernest Wooden Jr., President and 

CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism 

& Convention Board, stated that 

hotels in the LAX corridor continue 

to outperform entire LA County 

market, with over 85% occupancy 

in the first part of 2019. LA Tourism 

positions the Gateway offerings 

as a “fun layover” or a home base 

before other travels with LA’s 

highest concentration of affordable 

hotels, including every major hotel 

brand. 

The transformation of downtown 

LA has recently brought accolades 

from National Geographic 

Traveler magazine as one of the 

28 friendliest neighbourhoods in 

the United States. Established as 

a leisure destination 11 years ago 

when L.A. LIVE turned on the lights 

at its expansive entertainment 

complex, the home of STAPLES 

Center is now visited by more than 

20 million people a year. In the 

past 6 years alone, 14 hotels have 

opened or broken ground in DTLA, 

including InterContinental Los 

Angeles Downtown, NoMad Los 

Angeles and forthcoming Hoxton 

Hotel. 

And there’s more to come. The 

Academy Museum, opening 

later this year in mid-city, will be 

dedicated to the art and science of 

movie-making and will boast stateof-the-art 

galleries, exhibition 

spaces, movie theatres, and special 

event spaces. 

We are also just months away 

from the opening of Los Angeles 

Stadium, the new, 70,000 seat 

state-of-the-art stadium that will 

be the epicentre of the sports 

world and will host the 2022 

Super Bowl, 2023 College Football 

Championship, 2026 World Cup 

bid, 2028 Olympic and Summer 

Olympic Games 





REGION 

21 

Paradise for Columbus… 

and for today’s travellers as well 

The Dominican Republic stands out with varied landscapes, 

architectural treasures and cultural richness 

The island nation of the Dominican Republic seduces 

travellers in every season - just as it seduced Christopher 

Columbus more than five centuries ago. He didn’t hesitate 

to call it a paradise island when he landed on its shores 

in 1492. Present this year at ITB Asia, one of the key 

activities being promoted is that of MICE. 

Salto Bayaguana 

“The Dominican Republic 

obviously has everything to 

attract MICE groups, from 

stunning white sand beaches 

stretching over 600 kilometres, 

majestic mountains cove- red 

with lush forests and historical 

and cultural heritage of great 

beauty,” explains Tourism 

Minister Francisco Javier García. 

“But the Dominican Republic 

also offers other surprises, 

renowned cuisine, some of the 

most popular rums, the world’s 

best cigars and a wide range of 

eco-tourism activities that will 

help make your events unique.” 

The Dominican Republic’s rich 

heritage of Spanish, French and 

African influences has told five 

centuries of exciting stories to 

its visitors immersed in a breathtaking 

setting. 

To offer visitors the best 

welcome, the Dominican 

Republic also provides more than 

73,000 hotel rooms, consisting 

of luxury resorts on the east 

coast, historic establishments 

in Santo Domingo, charming 

hotels on the north coast and the 

peninsula of Samaná and ecolodges 

in the Barahona region 

and in the centre. 

In addition to the large hotels 

that are well equipped with 

meeting and reception rooms, 

the capital, Saint-Domingue, 

now boasts a new convention 

centre opened in summer 

2016 within the premises of 

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Occupying 4,500 sq m, it houses 

three large reception halls 

measuring 1,300, 1,100 and 

900 sq m respectively (for up 

to 3,700 people), in a beautiful 

environment overlooking the 

Caribbean Sea and the capital’s 

promenade 


View of the coast near San 

Rafael, Barahona 

TAKING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE 

The country is known to have 

the most diverse topography for 

a single nation in the Caribbean 

region. One can go from a sandy 

beach to a cool, mountainous 

town over 500 meters above sea 

level in less than three hours. The 

country’s coastline runs for over 

1,600 kilometres in total, with 

hundreds of accessible, breathtaking 

beaches. More surprisingly, 

the country is flanked by a series 

of great mountain ranges, the 

most important of which–the 

Cordillera Central–is home to the 

Caribbean’s highest peak: Pico 

Duarte, sitting at 3,087 metres. 

With 25% of the land consisting 

of protected areas, most of which 

are easily accessed, there are a 

myriad of reasons to venture off 

the beach. Explore lush valleys, 

cloud forests, national parks on 

and off shore, rivers leading to 

waterfalls, offshore cayes where 

turtles nest, ancient Taino caves 

shrouded in thick rainforest, 

or pine forests with near zero 

temperatures. Discover natural 

wonders like Lago Enriquillo, 

a saltwater lake so large it 

surpasses the size of Manhattan, 

home to American crocodiles 

and sitting at 40 meters (138 feet) 

below sea level, the lowest point 

in the Caribbean. 

The Dominican Republic is home 

to 29 national parks. Located 

all around the country–from the 

southwest to the north, east, and 

center–these lush areas are as 

much of a treasure as the island’s 

multitude of sandy stretches. 

Near the areas of Punta Cana, 

La Romana, and Bayahibe, visit 

the Cotubanamá National Park – 

or Parque Nacional del Este - 

home to impressive Taino caves, 

and fresh spring waters. The park 

includes the offshore islands of 

Saona, the most important turtlenesting 

site in the Dominican 

Republic, Catalina, and the 

sandbank of Catalinita, teeming 

with coral reefs and frigate bird 

colonies. 

Off the coast of Samaná, Los 

Haitises National Park is one of 

the most breath-taking sights 

in the country. A series of giant 

rocks jut out of the sea, thick 

mangroves thrive in surrounding 

waters, and brown boobies and 

frigate colonies fill the skies. On 

land, large Taino caves reveal 

centuries-old petroglyphs and 

pictographs. The park can be 

reached by boat from Samaná or 

by road from Sabana de la Mar, 

which makes for an even more 

unique adventure 



© JeCCo 

HOSPITALITY / RESTAURANTS / BARS 

WHERE 

TO GO 

IN 

Singapore 

CLUBS / EVENTS / SHOPPING / CULTURE 

Singapore, Peranakan culture in Katong 

Koon Seng Road with its colourful houses 

ADDRESSES 

328 Katong Laksa 

It is considered as the original place to eat the 

famous Katong Laksa. The owner has two 

shops along East Coast Road. One Laksa soup 

is generally sufficient to fill up a stomach but 

they are also possibilities to buy dim sum… 

> 216 or 51 East Coast Road 

Birds of Paradise Gelato 

Boutique 

Home-made ice creams with natural flavoured 

from herbs, spices, fruits and flowers. 

> 63 East Coast Road 

Kim Choo Kueh Chang 

Famed delicacies on sale as well as a range of 

Peranakan souvenirs made as much as possible 

in Singapore… 

> 60 Joo Chiat Place 

More than any other cultures in 

Southeast Asia, the Peranakan 

culture fully embodies Southeast 

Asia’s ethnic mix. Peranakan 

is a word derived from the 

Malay language which means 

“local-boom”. It generally 

describes mostly Chinese 

immigrants from Southern 

China who settled originally 

along the Andaman coast and 

married to local people living 

in Penang, Melaka, Singapore, 

Java and Sumatra and then 

to Siam. These communities 

adopted local customs strongly 

blended with their own Chinese 

tradition. They are also often 

described as Baba (for men) 

and Nyonya (for women). 

Singapore is one of the main 

settlements of Peranakan 

communities. They have been 

living for over a century around 

the Katong/Joo Chiat district, 

a 15 minutes-drive from the 

Singapore civic district. Once 

filled with coconut plantations 

and used as a weekend retreat 

by wealthy city dwellers, Katong 

developed into a residential 

suburb by the early 20th century. 

Neighbouring Joo Chiat area is 

named after Chew Joo Chiat, a 

wealthy Chinese landowner in 

the early 20 th century. 

All this area is an attractive 

destination for visitors with 

few tourists here. The district 

is characterised by its unique 

pre-war architecture. Along 

the narrow streets, stand 

side by side colourful twostorey 

shophouses and 

terrace houses with ornate 

facades, intricate motifs and 

ceramic tiles. Best examples 

of Peranakan architecture are 

the stucco-decorated twostorey 

shophouses along Koon 

Seng Road and Joo Chiat Road 

among others. Koon Seng Road 

is turning into a very beloved 

photo and selfie motive with 

its imposing houses painted 

in bright- even psychedeliccolours. 

Over the last decade, local 

association of descendants 

of Peranakan communities 

have been fighting for the 

preservation of the area 

with a certain success. Large 

stretches of roads are now 

protected, while houses have 

been renovated. Small gardens, 

resting areas and signage 

boards provide explanations 

about landmarks. 

Many of the old shop houses 

are filled with restaurants 

and coffee shops selling 

local delicacies including the 

famous Katong Laksa- a spicy 

coconut milk-based noodle 

soup enhanced with a sour 

chili paste). It is worth trying 

Kueh Chang (rice dumplings) 

and other Nonya biscuits filled 

with pineapple jelly. Kim Choo 

Kueh Chang is one of the shops 

where original Peranakan cakes 

and Kueh Chang were locally 

manufactured for almost 80 

years. The Red Katong House 

Bakery along East Coast Road is 

an easily recognisable structure 

with its all-red colour. The 

house operated from 1925 to 

2003 as a bakery with a Jewish 

owner. It only reopened in 2016 

but is no longer in the original 

house. 

If one is interested to buy 

Peranakan objects and visiting 

a former Baba-Nyona original 

house, the Intan House is 

a perfect place to visit with 

its collection of Peranakan 

antiques. However, as it is only 

open for private tours, booking 

is compulsory (contactus@ 

the-intan.com- 69 Joo Chiat 

Terrace). 

A two-hour sightseeing walking 

tour is a minimum to enjoy the 

area fully including a break 

for a laksa, a coffee or an ice 

cream. There is a small guided 

tour available online under 

the Singapore Tourism Board 

website www.visitsingapore. 

com.

ITB Asia News 2019 Preview Edition

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