The PuLi Group has named Dean Winter as CEO, effective June 1, 2026, as it prepares for the next phase of expansion and the relaunch of The PuLi Shanghai.
He joins from Swire Hotels, where he was managing director, overseeing a portfolio that includes The Upper House Hong Kong.
With more than three decades of luxury hospitality experience, Winter will lead the group’s strategic direction, brand development and portfolio growth across Asia.
Recognising Asia-Pacific as the world’s aviation growth engine, a recent presentation by OAG Aviation’s commercial and industry affairs leader for APAC and MEA, Mayur Patel, underscored the importance of continuous infrastructure development to keep pace with growing travel demand.
His presentation, delivered at the PATA Annual Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, noted that Asia-Pacific’s aviation industry has recorded annualised growth of 5.2 per cent over the past 25 years, double the global average.
Patel described the performance as “encouraging and positive, especially when you’ve got half of the world’s population – 4.8 billion – people residing here”. He added that he sees “global opportunity to do more business together”.
To build the foundation for the next decade of growth, Patel emphasised the importance of infrastructure investment, noting that many airports are already expanding with future demand in mind.
Patel said: “Hong Kong is moving its airport capacity towards 120 million passengers and is (enhancing its) infrastructure with a third runway and new terminal. It is also getting new airline capacities into the system.
“Singapore’s Changi Airport is looking towards 140 million passenger capacity by mid-2030, and the fifth terminal is now under construction to get more passengers into the air hub.
“At Incheon International Airport (South Korea), the fourth runway is completed and a fifth is being planned, with the aim of serving a capacity of 106 million per year.”
Expansion projects are also underway across the region, including at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok; Long Thanh International Airport, currently under construction east of Ho Chi Minh City; second airports planned for Delhi and Mumbai; and 25 airports under construction across China in 2025 alone.
Patel said most airports in the region currently handle between 65 million and 80 million passengers annually, with many aiming to process between 120 million and 250 million passengers over the next decade.
“There will be significant capacity (to support) airlines that are ordering new aircraft that will need to be filled by more passengers,” Patel remarked.
He noted that Asian carriers have more than 5,800 aircraft on order – double the total of any other region – which is expected to add 1.38 billion seats across Asia-Pacific over the next decade.
As most future fleets will comprise narrow-body aircraft, Patel said low-cost airlines will have greater opportunities to expand, creating new city pairs, opening new markets and attracting different traveller segments.
However, Patel stressed that growth must also be resilient.
“Aviation profit margins are very thin (2.3 per cent, which is far below the 3.9 per cent global average), so we’ve got to be very smart about how we operate and sustain growth,” he said, adding that airlines must optimise yield, not just seat capacity, to avoid fragile networks driven by profitless growth.
Further, modern airport technology, particularly biometric systems, will ensure efficient growth. Using Hong Kong and Singapore as examples, Patel noted that travellers can complete immigration procedures quickly while keeping their passports in their bags.
Next, Patel discussed the evolution of the low-cost carrier model as a contributor to resilient aviation growth.
“The low-cost carrier model has been one of the great success stories of Asia-Pacific aviation; 22.5 per cent compound annual growth since 2000 is a remarkable track record. But as these networks mature and unit costs inevitably rise, the primary challenge shifts from growth to profitability. The era of simply adding routes and seats is giving way to a more complex question: how do you sustain margins when the structural cost advantages that defined the model begin to erode?
“The natural response is the hybrid model, carriers that retain the cost discipline of a low-cost operation while layering in the product and service flexibility of a full-service airline. We’re already seeing this play out across the region. Travellers today are not a homogeneous group. A millennial leisure traveller, a corporate road warrior, and a premium family holidaymaker have fundamentally different expectations. A carrier that can serve all three, without the overhead of a traditional full-service structure, has a genuine competitive advantage – a good example of this is India’s IndiGo Airlines.”
Patel added that resilience will also depend on smarter aircraft with lower unit costs, greater point-to-point connectivity, diversified demand, and the expansion of ultra-longhaul services. He cited Qantas’ Project Sunrise, scheduled for 2027, which will connect Sydney and London non-stop in approximately 22 hours.
TRENZ, New Zealand’s annual tourism trade event, has concluded its 2026 edition in Auckland, with organisers confirming Christchurch as the host city for next year’s show.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) said TRENZ 2027 will be held at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre from May 11 to 13 next year, marking the fourth time the event has taken place in Christchurch and the second at the venue.
According to TIA, this year’s event in Auckland brought together around 1,200 delegates and facilitated approximately 16,000 business meetings across two-and-a-half days.
TIA chief executive Rebecca Ingram said Auckland had delivered a strong host city experience, supported by partners including Tataki Auckland Unlimited, Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand. She also highlighted new initiatives such as the International Media Marketplace introduced during this year’s event.
The announcement comes as Christchurch continues to see growth in international visitor arrivals. TIA said 287,000 international travellers passed through Christchurch Airport between November 2025 and March 2026, up 22 per cent year-on-year.
Anne Newman, general manager of visitor economy at ChristchurchNZ, said the city had continued to expand its tourism infrastructure, accommodation and visitor experiences since previously hosting TRENZ in 2023.
“There’s a real buzz in Ōtautahi, and we’re looking forward to sharing that energy with the travel trade and our industry partners,” she said.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree, in partnership with Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Cairns Airport, will host a travel trade familiarisation trip from May 26-29 aimed at strengthening domestic tourism sales for the region.
The Port Douglas and Daintree Signature Famil will bring together travel agents and product managers from Helloworld, Flight Centre, Ignite – My Queensland and Luxury Escapes for a series of tailored itineraries showcasing the destination’s tourism experiences.
Participants will undertake one of three bespoke itineraries covering reef, rainforest, Indigenous and wildlife experiences, while also inspecting accommodation and dining venues across the region. A workshop involving 15 tourism operators will also be held as part of the programme.
Tourism Port Douglas Daintree executive officer Emma Tunnock said growing domestic interest in the destination was being supported by recent industry recognition, including Port Douglas being ranked second in Australian Traveller’s Top 100 Towns to Visit.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said the showcase would help strengthen domestic travel sales by giving agents direct exposure to local tourism products and operators.
Participating operators include Ocean Safari, Sailaway, Quicksilver Group, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, Thala Beach Nature Reserve and Walkabout Cultural Adventures.
The travel industry has spent the last decade optimising for discovery. But the next phase of growth will be won at the point of decision – and that is where the industry is underperforming.
Today, the longevity travel economy is valued at US$1.9 trillion and is projected to reach US$2.6-2.9 trillion by 2030. It is also the most resilient segment in travel: 86 per cent of adults over 50 rank travel among their top spending priorities, while 64 per cent plan to travel in 2026 despite economic headwinds. This is not future demand. It is already the most dependable demand in the system.
Yet most travel platforms continue to be designed around a different behavioural model – one built for price sensitivity, short booking cycles and high-frequency decisions. The 50+ traveller behaves differently. Across Asia-Pacific markets, this segment plans trips 77 days in advance, travels for 7.5 days and typically books in small groups of two to three adults. These are high-consideration purchases where confidence – not price – drives conversion.
This is where the industry’s current model starts to break.
Greytt’s analysis shows that nearly 47 per cent of traveller preference is concentrated in just four factors: ease of transport, room comfort, dining flexibility and quiet environments. These are not new needs, but they remain underrepresented in how travel is surfaced and sold.
Most OTAs still prioritise filters such as price, star rating and generic amenities. More difficult to access – or entirely absent – are signals around walkability, noise levels, proximity to support services and the availability of human assistance. The result is a structural mismatch: what is optimised for discovery is not aligned with what drives decision-making.
The commercial implications are measurable. Even high-performing properties show up to 15.9 per cent conversion leakage, often driven by gaps in perceived safety, environmental comfort and ease of experience. Closing even part of that gap can deliver mid- to high-single-digit conversion gains without incremental acquisition spend. In a market where customer acquisition costs continue to rise, this represents a material opportunity.
Two patterns stand out. First, safety is emerging as a conversion lever rather than a compliance requirement. Across chains and destinations, “Safety & Support” consistently appears as the largest unmet need – particularly in how it is communicated, not just delivered.
Second, experience quality is increasingly defined by friction reduction. Attributes such as quiet environments, reliable transport and predictable service are not premium add-ons. They are baseline expectations for a segment that prioritises ease.
There is also a timing advantage. High-value segments such as “Leisure Curators” plan travel up to 91 days in advance, creating a longer window for engagement, pricing strategy and conversion optimisation.
Taken together, these signals point to a broader shift. The industry has historically approached older travellers as a demographic category, but the data suggests a move towards behaviour-led segmentation, where planning horizon, trip intent and experience priorities matter more than age itself.
This has implications across the stack: product teams must surface decision-critical attributes, not simply more inventory; marketing teams need to engage earlier in the booking cycle; and operations must be designed for predictability, not just efficiency.
At Greytt, we have approached this through the Greytt Score, a framework that translates these preferences into a standardised signal across hotels and experiences. But the broader takeaway is independent of any one system. Growth over the next decade will not come from adding more supply. It will come from aligning supply with how high-value travellers actually choose.
The longevity traveller is not underserved because demand is unclear. They are underserved because the industry’s lens has not fully adapted. Until that changes, a significant portion of the market will remain visible – but not fully captured.
Oceania Cruises has unveiled its holiday sailing programme for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, with voyages across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
The collection includes itineraries ranging from one week to nearly 40 days, with departures across much of the fleet. Ships featured include Oceania Insignia and Oceania Allura in 2026-27, with Oceania Sonata and Oceania Aurelia joining the following season.
Onboard, guests can expect seasonal programming including live performances, festive menus, and holiday traditions such as Christmas celebrations, New Year’s events and Hanukkah menorah lightings.
Itineraries cover a mix of regions, from the Caribbean and South America to the Mediterranean and South-east Asia. Selected sailings include overnight stays in ports such as Barcelona, Bali and Singapore, as well as scenic cruising through areas including the Panama Canal and Milford Sound.
Highlighted voyages include a 23-day Australia and Indonesia itinerary departing December 15, 2026, a 36-day Miami to Buenos Aires sailing departing December 19, 2026, and a 15-day South-east Asia journey from Hong Kong to Singapore departing December 21, 2026.
For the 2027-28 season, itineraries include a 29-day Miami to Los Angeles voyage departing December 6, 2027, and a 12-day Australia to New Zealand sailing departing December 23, 2027.
For more information, visit Oceania Cruises.
Tourism Australia has appointed Kathryn O’Brien as executive general manager, global markets, overseeing the organisation’s international offices across 16 markets as well as airline and distribution partnerships.
She joins from Air New Zealand, where she is currently general manager Australia. O’Brien also previously held senior roles with Experience Co and Hamilton Island Enterprises.
Himanshu Kala has been appointed as director of rooms of JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity.
He joins from Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield, where he was director of rooms overseeing operations for the 520-key property.
With over 13 years of hospitality experience, he has worked across luxury, business and MICE hotels.
Congratulations on your appointment. What are your priorities as CEO, how have they changed with the ongoing war on Iran, and what in your view is the biggest impact for Zipair?
Our top priorities are preserving the New Basic philosophy, evolving through technology, and further strengthening safety.
We will refine our model to allow customers to select only the services they need, while simultaneously enhancing customer value and efficiency through the digitalisation of operations and maintenance, including the implementation of Starlink (operated by SpaceX to provide free high-speed Internet connectivity onboard).
Given the geopolitical risks, including the situation in Iran, fuel cost resilience has become a growing priority. This is not an issue unique to Zipair, but facing the entire aviation industry, and we must closely monitor future developments.
And the greatest impact on longhaul LCCs is the increased cost and uncertainty resulting from fuel prices and airspace restrictions.
While longhaul LCCs have been made possible through rigorous cost-cutting and efficient operations, the current situation is extremely challenging.
Although Zipair’s routes are not affected by airspace restrictions, soaring fuel prices remain a significant burden. Nevertheless, Zipair remains committed to further strengthening our ongoing cost-cutting efforts and operational efficiency to continue offering tickets at affordable prices to our customers.
Is Zipair on track to expand its fleet from eight to 20 Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners by 2030, and which cities are being considered for route expansion?
Progress is on schedule. We plan to add two B787-8 aircraft in fiscal year 2026, increasing the fleet from eight to 10. In the medium- to long-term, we will phase in the B787-9 starting in 2027, with the goal of doubling the scale of our operations by early 2030s.
The decision to add B787-8s is based on network strategy and demand profiles. The company maintains a consistent policy that standardisation within the B787 family (synergies in range, fuel efficiency, maintenance, and operations) contributes to cost efficiency and operational stability.
Route expansion is starting with Kuala Lumpur within 2026, and we will prioritise major cities in Asia, North America, and Oceania where strong two-way demand for travel to Japan is anticipated, and which are suitable for the B787’s range.
Selection criteria include demand volume, seasonality, slot availability, potential for direct sales, and opportunities for partnership collaboration.
In addition to scheduled flights, we plan to continue operating charter flights with flexibility, utilising our aircraft resources, starting with the Las Vegas charter flight in June, announced earlier this month.
How much has JAL invested in the subsidiary to date, how much is being allocated for the next phase of expansion, and what contribution has Zipair made since launching passenger services in 2020?
Zipair, has received total capital of approximately 20 billion yen (US$125.80 million), including the preparatory phase prior to the commencement of operations.
In the next expansion phase, an additional investment of around 10 billion yen is planned to support network expansion, fleet augmentation, and enhancements to digital services.
Launched in 2020 during the pandemic, when many other airlines were pulling back operations, Zipair overcame initial losses to turn a healthy profit from 2023 as passenger demand recovered.
You describe Zipair as the airline of the future – lean, tech-enabled and focused on delivering value to passengers and partners. What innovations are you exploring to further personalise and scale the Zipair experience sustainably?
First: safety. We will utilise the newly introduced Starlink to address the most critical aspect of safety – ensuring that passengers are safely transported to their destinations, which is the fundamental mission of an airline.
For example, by sharing real-time weather information between the aircraft and ground control, we will be able to select safer and more efficient flight routes.
Secondly: service. We will use Starlink to create an environment where passengers can freely enjoy their time on board, thereby realising our goal of “making the flight feel shorter”.
We aim to make activities that were previously only possible on the ground, available in the air as well. This is the New Basic we aspire to achieve.
Third: operation. With the introduction of the new MacBook Pro within all Zipair aircraft, cabin attendants can deploy in-flight services more stably and quickly, consolidating multiple devices into one, thereby streamlining flight preparation.
Passengers can also easily access the in-flight portal without a dedicated app, reducing the workload for attendants. Future development of crew support features is expected to enhance operational support.
Everyone is talking about AI and agentic AI. What is Zipair exploring in this area, and what are you hoping to achieve beyond automation?
While we cannot provide specific details on implementation projects at this time, we strongly believe in empowering our employees with technology to help them serve our customers better.
AI is undoubtedly a key area of focus, and plans are currently underway internally. We view AI as an indispensable foundational technology for taking our long-standing commitment to cost reduction and operational efficiency to the next level.
We believe it will contribute to achieving our goals of streamlining operations and improving productivity, enhancing quality and consistency, increasing safety and resilience, and refining the customer experience, in addition to providing autonomous support for multi-stage tasks.
Capturing the Chinese high-net-worth individual (HNWI) travel market requires hospitality operators to balance bespoke service with absolute discretion, according to The Luxury Travel Trends in China White Paper, a 99-page research project by Dragon Trail International and DONG Luxury Travel Collection released in May 2026.
Based on surveys of 200 Chinese HNWIs, the report found that a property’s brand reputation and ability to deliver personalised experiences are highly influential, with 79 per cent of respondents identifying both as important decision-making factors.
Privacy is also a major consideration, with 70 per cent of surveyed travellers saying exclusivity and discretion directly influence their travel choices.
The report noted that building brand reputation requires strong cultural localisation.
Operators are encouraged to develop a distinctive brand identity while tailoring services to ensure cultural relevance. This extends to digital storytelling on Chinese platforms such as WeChat and Xiaohongshu, where emotional resonance is considered more effective than overt promotional messaging.
Balancing hyper-personalisation with privacy expectations also requires a move away from intrusive digital processes.
“To maintain discretion, properties should rely on highly trained staff to gather guest preferences naturally. Highly trained and capable staff will be able to gather information just by observation, in addition to conversation, further respecting guest privacy,” said Sienna Parulis-Cook, director of marketing and communications at Dragon Trail International, adding that guest data must be carefully protected.
“The data must then be deployed with the utmost discretion, feeding into subtle, detailed, anticipatory service and personalisation that is delivered quietly and offered but not imposed,” Parulis-Cook said.
Meeting demand for exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experiences also requires enhanced security measures and private access arrangements.
“Operators must cater to this desire by facilitating specialised VIP amenities such as alias check-ins, full property or floor buyouts, private villa entrances, and closed-door access to cultural attractions,” Parulis-Cook said.
The report added that securing future market share will depend on delivering these nuanced service elements alongside strong B2B operational support, with 78 per cent of Chinese HNWI travellers relying heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations when making travel decisions.
