Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #43

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




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




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




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 


PURE Life Experiences 

Marrakesh, Morocco 

www.purelifeexperiences.com 


Future Guest Experience 

Henderson, NV, USA 

https://guestexperience.wbresearch.com/ 


IMEX America 

Sands Expo Convention Center, 

Las Vegas, NV, USA 

www.imexamerica.com/ 


HTNG Asia-Paciific Conference 

Bangkok, Thailand 

www.htng.org/page/APC_2019 


The Hotel Show Dubai 

World Trade Centre, Dubai, 

United Arab Emirates 

www.thehotelshow.com 


PATA Travel Mart 

Korme Exhibition Center, 

Nur-Sultan (Astana), Kazakhstan 

www.pata.org/ptm/ 


WTA Xianghu Dialogue 

Hangzhou, China 

www.wta-web.org 


World Routes 

Adelaide, Australie 

www.routesonline.com/events/204/worldroutes-2019 


ILTM North America 

Fairmont Mayakoba, 

Riviera Maya, Mexico 

www.iltm.com/northamerica 


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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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





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.


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




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 



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




17 

© 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


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




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


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 




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


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




23 

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


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




25 

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


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.




27 

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.


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-tobusiness 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”




29 

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


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


TRENDING HOTELS 




31 

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”


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 





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


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 




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





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 



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

Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #43

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