DATA and insights gathered during TravelRave 2015, a week-long travel trade showcase spearheaded by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), and comprising events such as ITB Asia, Asia Travel Leaders Summit and Hotel Technology Conference, is now available as a 24-page downloadable report.

During the event’s sixth annual run last year, experts provided thought leadership on what is shaking up the travel industry and how all segments of tourism, whether business, leisure or MICE, are to fare in the future. Topics such as nurturing human capital and impact of the sharing economy are also discussed.

One of the highlights of the report is on online travel and technology, where the ever-evolving distribution business comes under close scrutiny. In 2015, all technology trends pointed to the streamlining of the guest experience in an effort to provide customers conveniences that would lead to loyalty in an incredibly crowded market.

But the issue gets increasingly convoluted in today’s world, where the biggest accommodation provider has no real estate and where the world’s largest taxi company owns no vehicles. If China’s 94 per cent approval rating for using sharing economy services is any indication, the peer-to-peer market is here to stay.

Another spotlight falls on human capital, bringing to the forefront issues of gender parity, nurturing of future talent, and on leadership succession.

When asked how severe the hospitality manpower crunch is, Neeta Lachmandas, executive director, Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore Management University, said: “I would say it is pretty immense. There are gaping shortfalls in talent. A fair number graduate from tourism and hospitality courses at tertiary institutions but we tend to lose a large proportion of the cohort.

“These students are highly intelligent, and they are passionate about the industry. But in the course of four years, they lose their passion and love for the industry. Why does this happen?”

Catalysing Travel and Tourism in Asia: A TravelRave 2015 Report can be downloaded on STB’s website here.

NEW owners of Singapore’s homegrown Zouk, Genting Hong Kong, is bringing the nightclub’s iconic EDM dance festival ZoukOut to the Philippines. This is the first time the annual event will take place outside of Singapore.

This first of three ZoukOut parties to be held throughout 2016, titled ZoukOut Prelude Edition, will be taking place from April 30 to May 1 at Epic and Uptown Beachfront (Station 2) in Boracay. An estimated 5,000 revelers are expected.

“With ZoukOut Boracay, we are repositioning ourselves regionally with a strong focus on Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines,” said Andrew Li, vice president, lifestyle and F&B concepts, Genting Hong Kong.

“This in turn will create stronger brand awareness of ZoukOut Singapore, which we also plan to innovate and revitalise later this year in December,” said Li, who is also executive chairman at Zouk.

Internationally acclaimed DJ and record producer Kaskade will feature prominently during ZoukOut Prelude Edition. Other acts on the roster include DJ Royale & Junior, DJ Vice, Dubvision, DVBBS and MMXJ.

Performers and costumed buskers, along with interactive visual art installations and food stalls will also be available onsite.

“ZoukOut Boracay is the first step in our overall strategy in growing the brand regionally and globally. We are intending to penetrate other exciting and dynamic locations such as Hong Kong and Japan – which we will announce in due time,” added Li.

INDONESIA’s PHM Hospitality will be taking over the full management of several financially strained hotels without them having to come under any of its self-operated brands, including The Haven, The 101 Hotel & Resort, the BnB Hotel or FRii Hotel.

Instead, they will come under its newly formed PHM Collection umbrella.

Giving background to the new brand, Satria Wei, PHM Hospitality’s executive director, said the hotel development boom between 2010 and 2013 ended in many hotel owners running into financial difficulties by 2014 and 2015.

“We offer owners full management of their hotels without them having to initially invest and change the hotel to meet existing PHM hotel brand standards,” he said.

Since it launched PHM Collection in November 2015, PHM Hospitality has begun managing the 78-room Sing Ken Ken Lifestyle Boutique Hotel in Bali. Another hotel to be managed under PHM Collection will be announced this month.

MALAYSIA Airlines has entered into a MoU with Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) to position Malaysia as a premier healthcare destination regionally and globally.

Under the agreement, Malaysia Airlines will be promoted as MHTC’s preferred healthcare tourism airline. Both parties are also exploring marketing initiatives.

As the official airline, Malaysia Airlines will support MHTC with sponsored tickets for fam trips to Malaysia, as well as offering discounted rates for guests travelling to Malaysia for medical tourism purposes.

The MoU, signed by Paul Simmons, CCO, Malaysia Airlines and Sherene Azli, CEO, MHTC, took place during the Malaysia Healthcare Media Week organised by MHTC.

KOH Samui’s tourism sector has been experiencing steady growth in 2015, with airport passenger arrivals growing by seven per cent to over one million, average daily rate (ADR) of hotels up by 12 per cent, and RevPAR increasing by 15 per cent, according to a report by consultancy C9 Hotelworks.

Favourable supply-and-demand conditions for hotels and the increase in passenger capacity from Bangkok Airways has largely contributed to the growth.

As well, despite concerns from industry players about Koh Samui’s Bangkok Airways-owned airport, the preventing of LCCs into the island has actually had a positive effect, serving to buffer Koh Samui’s tourism sector from mass market volatilities, the report explained.

Still, as tourists continue to visit in greater numbers, Koh Samui’s hotels are undergoing systematic improvements, with two of this year’s highlights including the completion of a US$20 million renovation of the Santiburi Beach Resort and the reopening of the overhauled Amari in Chaweng.

Samui International Airport is also in the early stages of a US$29.2 million expansion plan.