Sunset Hospitality Group (SHG) has appointed Philipp Knuepfer as the new chief operating officer of Sunset Hotels & Resorts, who will be based in Singapore.
He has over 20 years of international experience in the luxury hospitality sector and will support the growth of Sunset Hotels & Resorts, while overseeing global operations.
Knuepfer joins SHG from Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, where he served as area vice president and general manager.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched its Let’s Go the Extra Mile campaign to encourage hospitality frontline staff and the general public that they can do more to demonstrate good hospitality.
A trade preview was held to share updates on the hospitality campaign, which was attended by about 120 trade representatives from tourism-related sectors – tourism, aviation, transportation, hotels, F&B, retail, attractions and MICE.
Moreover, different sectors in the city will also launch various activities to create synergy, and work together to enhance Hong Kong’s reputation as a hospitable destination.
ATI Travel managing director Richard Woss said: “Hong Kong, unfortunately, is not exactly known as the City of Smiles – it is good to remind everyone in the industry to be proactively friendly and welcoming.”
Woss stated that the onus is on those in the hospitality sector to discover how they can improve on this, adding that his company frontline staff “love their jobs and are positive thinkers”.
Paul Leung, managing director of Holiday World Tours, cited that it is vital to figure out why people are not polite. He said: “Manpower crunch keeps frontline staff very busy so this root cause must be addressed. We should explore more alternative ways, like job satisfaction to incentivise staff, in addition to monetary rewards.”
He added that hiring foreign workers for hotel positions or even as coach drivers would be an efficient way to resolve this labour problem.
“Many industries suffer manpower shortage with staff overloaded with work,” he opined.
However, Liberty International Tourism (HK) CEO Portia Hau commented: “It is not fair to say all service frontlines are not friendly or not smiling. So far, local guides and retail shops demonstrate good hospitality. Some waiters at cha chaan teng (teahouses) are rude, but it’s not only to tourists but locals as well.
“We handle mostly foreign visitors, and don’t have bad feedback (regarding) our hospitality,” she noted, remarking that HKTB or the government should consider carefully before implementing such campaigns.
In a compelling keynote at TTM+ 2024, Victoria Loomes, head of trends at TrendWatching, outlined three future travel trends poised to shape the industry and help travel operators future proof their businesses.
The rise of awescapes
People crave experiences that leave them breathless and ignite personal growth. This trend, termed “Awescapes” by Loomes, highlights the power of awe-inspiring travel. The takeaway for the travel industry is clear: curate experiences that go beyond the ordinary and leave a lasting emotional impact.
“Awe is an emotion that scientists have actually only really been researching for the last two decades – and they continue to uncover the benefits of awe, which include making people kinder and emotionally resilient,” Loomes noted.
She said travel companies can capitalise on this by designing trips that immerse travellers in stunning environments and moments of wonder.
A great example is Cotopaxi’s “bucket list” stipend programme, which incentivises employees to partake in awe-inspiring adventures. This not only boosts employee morale but also aligns perfectly with the consumer desire for rejuvenation and connection with nature.
AI companions
The second trend highlighted by Loomes is the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI), which she terms “AI Genies”.
One research study by Europol predicts that by 2026, 90 per cent of online content will be AI-generated. Not only will most content be AI-generated, but AI is poised to move beyond simple convenience and into a more transformative role of companionship, which has innovative implications for the travel industry.
“Imagine a future where AI not only plans your trip but also acts as a companion, enriching your journey,” remarked Loomes.
This is already becoming a reality. Nissan’s AI-powered stuffed toy keeps children entertained during travel, while VRX Health’s virtual therapist offers mental health support using virtual reality.
The future holds even more possibilities, with AI companions poised to provide personalised and responsive services throughout the travel experience.
This is illustrated by the TERRA – termed a “companion for mindful wandering”, this open source project between Modem and Panter&Tourron aims to develop an AI-pebble that fits into the palm of the hand and helps travellers navigate, keeping travels screen-free.
Combating loneliness
The final trend, “Villaged Squared”, addresses the increasing global epidemic of loneliness and the rising importance of community.
“The number of people living alone is growing worldwide as a result of rising divorce rates, delayed marriage, and more women participating in the workforce,” Loomes stated, elaborating that this demographic shift presents an opportunity for the travel industry to foster connections and create community-centric experiences.
Innovative examples include laundromats leveraging their 24/7 operating hours to host soccer match screenings for people in different time zones from the matches – as in a recent collaboration between Heineken and WashEnjoy, thereby transforming mundane spaces into vibrant community hubs.
Similarly, Hotel Indigo’s Borrowed by Hotel Indigo programme – where guests can ‘borrow’ from the neighbouring local small businesses – as well as Enuove’s Tokyo café, Dial, which offers conversation prompts to encourage interactions, illustrate how travel can facilitate meaningful social connections.
“There is a great opportunity for brands to think about how they can become community builders,” Loomes shared, urging operators to consider how their services can combat loneliness and enhance social well-being.
TrendWatching is a resource for consumer trends, insights, and innovations, driven by expert analysts, AI, and a global network of over 1,000 spotters in 90+ countries who identify and highlight trend-driven opportunities for businesses.
Tourism Malaysia organised a B2B session with industry stakeholders on June 12 in an effort to refine and enhance the strategic roadmap towards Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).
The session was attended by key players from the travel industry, including travel agents, hoteliers, and airlines.
Aimed to build upon the strategic initiatives introduced during the Tourism Malaysia Strategic Direction Towards VM2026 Networking Session held in late April, this session served as a critical juncture to streamline and fortify the strategies for Tourism Malaysia’s overseas offices, ensuring the successful implementation of high-impact and fast-conversion programmes.
Held at the World Trade Centre (WTC) Kuala Lumpur, over 80 local representatives, including travel agents, tourism product owners, airlines and hoteliers, had the opportunity to connect with 30 Tourism Malaysia’s overseas offices and four marketing representatives worldwide.
Emphasis was placed on the critical role of overseas directors in realising the vision for Malaysian tourism who were encouraged to proactively engage with industry stakeholders, embrace new ideas, and align their efforts with current trends to achieve the set targets.
The session reaffirmed Tourism Malaysia’s commitment to realising the vision of VM2026, which aims to attract 35.6 million tourist arrivals and generate 147.1 billion ringgit (US$31.2 billion) in receipts.
Sri Tiong King Sing, minister of tourism, arts and culture, stated: “Our journey towards VM2026 is not merely a campaign but a collective effort that requires the support and dedication of every individual. Let us work together to re-strategise our marketing action plans, leveraging the feedback and insights gained from this session. By doing so, we can create captivating campaigns that inspire global audiences to experience the wonders of Malaysia.”
Indonesian inbound operators participating at Bali and Beyond Travel Fair (BBTF 2024) have reported a significant improvement in business as compared to 2023, with some seeing new markets coming in.
Panorama Destination saw a 96 per cent increase in performance last year as compared to 2022, which was about 70 per cent of 2019’s volume. Among its top markets are the Netherlands, France and Poland.
Ricky Setiawanto, director at Panorama Destination, noted: “With more international flights coming in this year, we are expecting (an even better) year ahead.”
According to data from Angkasa Pura Bali airport authority, Etihad Airways will start four times a week services from Abu Dhabi to Denpasar from June 20. In addition, other airlines such as Air Busan, Uzbekistan Airways, Jeju Air, Rossiya Airlines, T’Way Air, Starlux Airlines, and Air India have plans to start services to Bali this year.
Ricky commented that more Europeans are looking into travelling to Asia, adding that travel agents he met with have revealed that demand for Asia is high.
“As such, we are hoping to achieve a 20 per cent increase (in business) this year,” he said.
Similarly, Classic Tour Lombok has also seen a strong return to Indonesia from longhaul markets, thanks to the much-improved international access to the country. While the domestic air network has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels, it is performing much better than in 2022.
Nawasier Tralala, travel consultant, Classic Tours Lombok, shared that they had penetrated into the new market of Croatia since 2017, which has picked up well this year. Over the last couple of months, he has handled several groups in the last couple of months, with 26 groups arriving between July and September – each group comprises a maximum of 28 passengers.
Tralala said Turkish Airlines provided a convenient connection to Indonesia: “It take two hours from Croatia to Istanbul and then around eight hours to Jakarta. I started receiving bookings in 2019 for trips in 2020, but those got cancelled due to Covid-19.
“Last year, when I approached the agents there, they were still taking a wait-and-see stand – but this year, the groups are really coming.”
He added that Croatians were mostly interested in the nature and culture of Indonesia, and are also keen to take trips around the country, for an average of 22 days.
Meanwhile, Nepal is a new market for RD Tours Bali, thanks to the new AirAsia Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur route as well as the good connectivity to Bali, according to its director of marketing and overseas promotion, Bambang Sugiono.
“I have actually seen the potential of this market since 2017, but accessibility was the issue then,” commented Bambang, who explained that the available flights were by Singapore Airlines to Singapore, then a connection to Bali, which was considered pricey. He remarked that more are visiting the area now thanks to low cost carriers – which makes it more affordable – although travellers still needed to apply for a visa at the embassy.
These travellers come with their families, are interested in adventure trips, and take five-day holidays in Bali, Bambang said.
Qantas is accelerating its expansion into the holiday packages market by acquiring the remaining 49 per cent of the Byron Bay online travel business TripADeal.
The acquisition will enable Qantas to deepen synergies by combining Qantas and Jetstar’s extensive network with the growing curated tour market, and also create a more tailored and integrated experience for Qantas Frequent Flyers.
Qantas purchased a majority stake in TripADeal in 2022, enabling its Frequent Flyers to earn and use their Qantas Points on African safaris, Fiji beach holidays, European getaways, adventures to India, and other ready-made holiday packages.
The remaining 49 per cent will be purchased for A$211 million (US$139.4 million), with the transaction expected to be completed by the end of June. Through the full acquisition, Qantas expects combined cost and revenue synergies to build to at least A$50 million annually across the group, over time.
During July, Qantas members will also receive a 30 per cent discount on bookings made with points.
TripADeal will continue to operate as an independent business, working with a range of travel partners and airlines, including Qantas and Jetstar, to build and deliver ready-made packages. TripADeal recently added cruises to its platform, expanding the itinerary options for travellers.
The purchase will see founders of TripADeal, Norm Black and Richard Johnston, depart the business. Matt Wolfenden, who has been with the company for seven years, has been promoted to CEO and will lead the 150- strong team in Byron Bay and tour guides based in 30 countries.
“TripADeal has been building on-trend and well-priced holiday packages for over a decade and has delighted millions of holidaymakers in the process. This success has only been turbo-charged by the Qantas partnership, and the opportunity for our members to earn and use their points,” said Qantas loyalty CEO Andrew Glance.
“With TripADeal bookings growing at 70 per cent over the last year, and more opportunities to strengthen the offering and realise further synergies, this deal is great news for our customers and the loyalty business more broadly.”
Resorts World Cruises (RWC) has become the first international cruise line to homeport in Indonesia, with the arrival of Resorts World One in Jakarta on June 16.
Travellers from Indonesia can now enjoy a cruise vacation with the convenience of embarking Resorts World One from Tanjung Priok in Jakarta weekly, with four round-trip six-day-five-night Singapore-Kuala Lumpur cruises on June 16, 21 and 26, as well as July 1.
To celebrate this milestone, RWC, together with the local Indonesian authorities, held a special event to welcome the maiden arrival and first sailing of the Resorts World One from Jakarta, Indonesia.
“On behalf of Resorts World Cruises, we are deeply excited to charter a new history here in Indonesia and be part of this milestone event as the first international cruise line to homeport in Indonesia with Resorts World One. The responses have been very positive and we look forward to a successful deployment from Jakarta,” said Michael Goh, president of RWC.
“It is our hope that the deployment of Resorts World One in Jakarta will provide positive prospects and increase the number of international tourists visiting Indonesia, which will also boost the country’s foreign exchange. This deployment will also enable the port of Tanjong Priok to not only be a homeport, but also a cruise hub and destination for more cruise tourists to explore various local destinations,” added Itok Parikesit, director of special interest tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia.
Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) is set to launch its first Radisson Red hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.
Rebranded from the existing Park Plaza Bangkok Soi 18, Radisson Red Bangkok Sukhumvit 18 is slated to open 4Q2025.
Surrounded by shopping malls, bars, street food and more in the heart of Sukhumvit, the upscale hotel will feature 125 guestrooms, fitness centre, rooftop pool and bar, as well as event spaces.
The hotel is nearby Asok BTS Skytrain and Sukhumvit MRT subway stations, with Queen Sirikit National Convention Center and Benchakitti Park just a short walk away.
Elie Younes, executive vice president and global chief development officer at RHG, commented: “The introduction of Radisson Red will bring a new edge to the upscale hospitality sector in Bangkok, as its fresh and bold approach will make it stand out from the crowd.”
Park Royal Co.’s owner, Chaiyud Sakchiraphong, said: “The Radisson Red brand, with its colourful and playful concept, fits perfectly within this part of the city. By introducing Radisson Red here, we are confident it will resonate with the energy of Sukhumvit, offering a unique and memorable experience for guests.”
Macau is deepening its focus on the Muslim traveller as part of its “1+4” development strategy to diversify and integrate tourism and other related industries, including culture and creativity, sports, MICE, gastronomy and health and wellness.
The goal is to be a centre for integrated tourism and leisure, while facilitating the development of four nascent industries – big health, modern financial services, high and new technology, as well as conventions and exhibitions.
Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, said government and local tourism stakeholders attach great value to the potential of Muslim tourism (domestic and international), and steps have been taken to prepare and cater for an expected increase of Islamic visitors.
According to MGTO data, Indonesia and Malaysia already rank among Macau’s top international visitor source markets and ranked third and fourth respectively as of April.
Fernandes noted: “The perspective is for arrivals to continue to increase as direct flights and targeted promotional activities expand. Last November, direct flights between Macau and Jakarta were launched, while the frequency of flights to Kuala Lumpur will increase in July.
“At the same time, MGTO is conducting promotions targeting consumers and travel trade in these two markets, with the latest large-scale (promotion) conducted in May in Jakarta, and another one scheduled for July in Kuala Lumpur.”
The director remarked that Muslim visitors are expected to continue to increase from other places as well, including from Macau’s main visitor source market of Mainland China.
She elaborated: “Measures announced recently by the Central Government expanded the number of cities under the Individual Visit Scheme to travel to Hong Kong and Macau, with the list now also including the provincial capitals of Ürümqi (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), Lanzhou (Gansu Province), Xining (Qinghai Province), as well as Yinchuan (Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region).”
MGTO, she added, is also eyeing the Middle East and returned this year to the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
According to a 2023 travel behaviour survey in the Middle East, intent to visit Macau is high, Fernandes shared, and more than half of the respondents (which included the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait) are willing to visit Macau (ranging from 53 per cent to 77 per cent).”
To prepare the industry, MGTO organised an Islamic Culture in Tourism workshop in March and December last year, and in February 2024 joined hands with the industry to organise the Macao Welcomes You Training Programmes for International Guests to enhance knowledge and skills.
Training content included Islamic etiquette and cultural customs, understanding what halal-certified food is and the certification process and system.
MGTO, which was a business partner of the Halal Pavilion 2024 at the Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability Expo in Hong Kong, held in January, also organised a travel trade delegation to the event to provide a platform for the industry to increase its expertise and supplier contacts.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali has named Go Kondo as its new general manager.
With over 25 years of extensive experience in luxury hospitality spanning across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe, he brings a wealth of knowledge and global experience to lead the team in his new role at The Ritz-Carlton, Bali.