ITB Asia News 2022 - Day 1 Edition

I SPECIAL FEATURE I

I SPECIAL FEATURE I HOSPITALITY I Chris Stephenson Vice President, Business Development and Account Management, Homes and Villas by Marriott International WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE UNIQUENESS OF HOMES AND VILLAS BY MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL IN THE MARKET Homes & Villas by Marriott International focuses on curating best premium and luxury whole homes in most sought-after destinations Launched in May 2019, Homes & Villas by Marriott International has over 65,000 premium and luxury whole home rentals located in over 700 destinations across the world Present in six Asian countries, Homes & Villas recently added some 350 home rentals in Australia and New Zealand. Chris Stephenson, Vice President, Business Development and Account Management, Homes and Villas by Marriott International looks at doing more business in the region at ITB Asia. What are the trends shaping the premium and luxury whole home rentals market? People are looking for trusted home rentals with high standards. Our company is well positioned as we work exclusively with select professional property management companies which deliver on the high product and service standards that guests expect of Marriott International in design, cleanliness, safety, reliability and high-end amenities. We are also seeing more people combining home rentals and hotel stays in the same trip with for example a city break followed by a retreat in a drive-to destination in the countryside. This kind of travel behaviour fits perfectly with our business. Do you notice any changes in booking behaviour and length of stay at home rentals? Our average booking window is currently 85 days for YTD confirmed bookings versus 75 days in 2021 and 49 in 2020 as people become more optimistic and comfortable with booking out. We have noticed that people tend to stay at entire private home rentals for a longer period of time, blending work/school with vacation through “leisure” travel. People are increasingly looking for more flexibility as it relates to their travel plans. What is Homes & Villas by Marriott International presenting at ITB Asia this year? We want to highlight the uniqueness of Homes and Villas by Marriott International in the market by showcasing a home-like environment at ITB Asia, and showing the benefits to those who are interested in working with us. We focus on curating the best premium and luxury whole homes in the most soughtafter destinations. HMCs listing with us know they can benefit from Marriott’s world-class reputation in the hospitality industry built over 90 years. We believe this is what differentiates HVMI versus other open platforms. We are also the only home rental platform to participate in a robust travel programme – Marriott Bonvoy – with all the benefits that brings to both property management companies and travellers. You recently launched in Australia and New Zealand. How is everything going? Demand is growing and we are seeing bookings come from urban cities to leisure destinations. The number of reservations after our launch announcement doubled. We also see bookings coming from both international and domestic travellers, as more borders open worldwide. How important is ITB Asia in your strategy? ITB Asia is a great forum to meet new people, exchange insights and generate ideas, which helps build a better and bigger travel ecosystem for everyone in the industry STAND Q11 DON'T MISS TODAY'S KEYNOTE BY MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL Today, 9:15-9:30 am Rebuilding Confidence: How COVID-19 Fostered a More Resilient Future for Travel Speaker: Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (Excluding Greater China), Marriott International Location L3, Cassia Ballroom, 3201A HOLIDAY TRAVEL TRENDS DECIPHERED Homes & Villas by Marriott International Vice President Chris Stephenson shares with ITB Asia News readers his insights on major trends in 2022. - Over indexing for larger properties (3+ bedrooms), properties near hiking, national parks, and golf courses as well as urban properties (75% of all bookings). - Properties with private pools or hot tubs are more likely to be booked in fall/ winter seasons. End of year searches begin to peak in May, with peaks gradually increasing through July to August. Beach/Coastal homes were the most booked during the summer months, however in 2022, HVMI saw more homes in urban areas being booked vs 2021, as international travel resumes, says Stephenson. 12 ITB ASIA NEWS • WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER 2022 www.itb-asia-news.com

I SPECIAL FEATURE I MICE I © Chris Stowers Monaco puts sustainability at heart of new tourism strategy Taipei Performing Arts Center - one of Taipei's new flagship developments for MICE Taipei presents new MICE venues at ITB Asia 2022 Monaco wants to be a benchmark for sustainable tourism © Visit Monaco This year, Taipei City figures amongst Lonely Planet's 'top 10 best cities to travel to in the world'. The destination is back at this ITB Asia to present its recently enhanced MICE offering, with the opening of Taipei Performing Arts Center and Taipei Music Center. Thanks to its cultural diversity, proximity to nature experiences, bustling food scene and toplevel infrastructure, Taipei is already one of Asia’s leading MICE destinations. The addition of two new venues gives MICE organisers even more reasons to choose the destination for their next event. The Taipei Performing Arts Center and the Taipei Music Center, opened in 2020, are enhancing the city’s skyline with their contemporary and futuristic architecture. Both venues add over 7,000 available seats to the MICE offer in Taipei. Comprising three theatres, the Taipei Performing Arts Center offers both indoor and outdoor multi-purpose spaces. The 1,500 seat Grand Theater and the 800 seat multiform theater can be combined to become a 2,300 Super theater, equipped with perfect facilities for large conferences, meetings and performances. The Taipei Music Center is the heart of Asia’s Mandarin pop music industry. The 5,000 seat Performance Hall connects the Cultural Hall and the Creative Hub, both dedicated to the preservation and development of music in Taiwan. For Taipei City government, “the Taipei MICE Industry is ready to welcome International MICE groups and has more to offer than ever before. With new venues opening up, our friendly locals are looking forward to showing our diverse cultural offerings, our famous food scene, the beautiful and natural scenery that surrounds our vibrant city. Our government has worked hard and has been successful in balancing safety and travel in the way we managed the pandemic over the last two years. So we are proud to have been selected as one of the Top 10 best cities to visit in 2022 by Lonely Planet” STAND E29 With international tourists returning to Monaco this year, the Principality has outlined changes for its 2022 tourism strategy and beyond. According to Sandrine Camia, Deputy Director of the Tourist and Convention Authority, the strategy is based on a new marketing ecosystem, “Destination Marketing and Management Organisation”, which provides a structure for tourism in the Principality, boosts the destination’s reputation and increases visitor appreciation. Earlier this year, the Tourist and Convention Authority unveiled its upcoming promotional campaigns for the destination: “For You ” for the recreational tourism sector and "REEVENT' for the business tourism sector. The REEVENT campaign relies on six visual slogans which emphasise the values that underpin Destination Monaco: security, service, unity of place and action, and commitment to the environment. It has been rolled out since 2021 with a particular focus on MICE professional media in Europe, the USA and now in Asia. A special mention must be given to sustainable tourism initiatives, an area in which the Principality wants to set an example. Monaco's leading hotels and conference venues have been championing a host of environmental and sustainable development initiatives. Some 88% of hotel rooms have environmental certification, and 97% have signed up to an Energy Transition Pact. The destination is also a member of the Global Destination Sustainability Index and achieved a benchmark score of 70.1% in 2020, an improvement of 13.24% on its 2018 result. To further consolidate environmental commitment, Monaco released its White Paper on Sustainable Tourism in Monaco. The Paper looks at what has already been achieved but also analysed Monaco's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The White Paper has mobilised all of the different stakeholders concerned. The findings are now used to define a Sustainable Tourism strategy that ties in with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Principality’s Energy Transition objectives. To learn more, make sure to stop by at the VisitMonaco stand at ITB Asia! STAND XXX ITB ASIA NEWS • WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER 2022 13