Hong Kong Airlines steps up recruitment efforts
Hong Kong Airlines (HKA) is recruiting flight attendants through large-scale recruitment events organised in various regions and drawing interest from thousands of job seekers eager to embark on a career in the aviation sector.
The most recent was on March 17 in Taipei, where over 200 candidates were invited for on-site interviews.
Last year, Hong Kong Airlines launched its first recruitment in the Greater Bay Area and has organised recruitment events in Osaka, Bangkok, and Taipei respectively since the end of last year, receiving over 2,000 applications. Qualified candidates were invited for on-site interviews.
Since 2023, HKA has been incrementally launching and reinstating an array of domestic and regional routes and now services 25 destinations. With the ambition to expand its fleet and route network this year, the airline has stepped up its recruitment efforts and has resumed significant events outside Hong Kong after several years’ hiatus, presenting an opportunity for international talent to apply in person.
Sally Lo Chi Yau, general manager of onboard experience at HKA, remarked: “Our service team consists of members from all over the world and they usually offer mutual support and share insights about life in Hong Kong, thus aiding recruits in swiftly adjusting to the working environment. Here at Hong Kong Airlines, we embrace a multicultural ethos and are committed to fostering a corporate culture that is both relaxed and vibrant, which we believe will entice more international talent to join us.”
Opportunities abound for brands as travel rebounds in Asia-Pacific
The Asia-Pacific travel sector has had a strong start to 1Q2024 so far. It continues to report the strongest year-on-year results when compared to other regions. Key markets like India have experienced an incredible travel rebound over and above 2019 levels, with China now steadily following suit.
While China’s domestic travel demand featured strongly on the cards in 2023, this focus has now shifted towards China outbound, as evidenced by the strong increase in outbound Chinese tourist numbers past the Lunar New Year holiday. The momentum is expected to continue in the months ahead, with Asia-Pacific destinations close to home already seeing the first wave.
India also continues to be a major contributor to the region’s tourism boom, with the market seeing increasingly significant outbound travel traffic since 2023. In response, Indian airlines have been working hard to keep up, expanding flight capacity to meet the surge.
Despite the overall rosy outlook, it is imperative for airlines, financial services and airports alike to look ahead and understand the psyche of consumers, who Collinson has identified to be the “new C-suite” of today, following our latest research report, The New Rules of Engagement: Customer Expectations Revealed. Operating in this customer experience era, winning the hearts and minds of customers is critical as this will enable brands to sustain their growth momentum and drive measurable business impact.
Knowing and meeting customer needs
By 2025, Gen Z and millennials each make up a quarter of Asia-Pacific’s population. Together, they will comprise half of Asia-Pacific consumers and, in turn, be a significant contributor to the demand for travel and its related services. In today’s unpredictable landscape, where loyalty is fickle, winning their hearts and minds is not just a nice-to-have – it is an imperative for brands.
In Collinson’s recent Asia-Pacific consumer insights report, more than half of the 4,750 consumers surveyed across the region expect brands to not only answer, but also anticipate their needs. Furthermore, 74 per cent of respondents expect personalised communications.
When it comes to travel, this translates into a unique demand, especially for millennials, who view travel as a right, not a privilege. This perception of travel translates into an enormous appetite for rewards and benefits that can enable positive travel experiences. Correspondingly, 93 per cent of respondents in the same Collinson survey indicated that the availability of such rewards encourages them to engage regularly with a brand.
Such rewards and benefits do not need to be grand gestures. Collinson’s Fear of Switching Off (FOSO) survey revealed there is an increased expectation towards seamless travel and pre-flight experiences. More than 61 per cent of travellers in Asia say pre-flight issues can initiate a fear of switching off for the rest of their trip. Clearly, the travel experience does not start from the destination, but from the airport.
The FOSO report also revealed that visiting an airport lounge, dining, and having a smooth check-in process are the top airport experiences that help travellers in Asia switch off pre-trip. The key to engaging with travellers today, then, is through providing an end-to-end tailored, seamless experience that adds value to their journey.
To cater to travellers’ expectations, and in response to the region’s travel resurgence, Collinson expanded their Asia-Pacific network of airport lounges and travel experiences by 40 per cent in 2023. Airport Dimensions (a Collinson company), for example, added Game Space in Dubai to the Priority Pass network – a 24-hour gaming lounge designed to provide a more engaging and diverse airport experience, directly aligned to the ever-popular e-gaming trend.
Tailored developments aside, there are key opportunities throughout the year that brands can tap into to engage with their most valued customers and in turn, generate positive impact to their business.
China and India: markets to look out for
Although China’s domestic travel is experiencing a steady recovery, international arrival figures are still well below pre-pandemic volumes; with estimates projecting inbound tourist numbers to recover to 50 per cent of 2019 levels in 2025. Chinese outbound tourism volumes, while on the uptick, are only expected to start returning to pre-pandemic levels next year. This in turn gives major airports in the region more time to prepare for China’s anticipated full return to travel; not only from an operational standpoint, but also in relation to being able to cater to the needs and wants of travellers.
In fact, China’s airport lounges have already been adapting their travel experiences. For instance, understanding that travellers are placing a heightened focus on F&B options and wellness services as part of their airport experience, Juneyao Air V6 Lounge located at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport introduced an array of dishes prepared by Michelin-starred restaurant, Xiyue No. 8 to their airport lounge menu, and Comfort Zone was established in various airports in China to provide spa and beauty treatments.
Looking further ahead, India’s Diwali celebration is another key moment to watch for, as nearly half of Indian travellers plan to increase their travel spending in 2024. Research has shown that Indian travellers place a heightened value on travel experience related benefits; for instance, having access to airport lounges, being able to enjoy duty-free discounts, and gaming spaces at airports. This is also evident in Collinson’s year-on-year airport experiences visit data. When comparing 2019 Diwali season results with 2023, the number of Indian travellers enjoying Priority Pass airport experiences globally significantly increased by 254 per cent.
Formula 1 is also a prime 3Q to 4Q opportunity for brands to leverage travel and work with brands within the travel and hospitality industry to build a cohesive, memorable experience – especially for millennials, who are entering their prime spending years. Last year, Collinson saw a 76 per cent increase in the airport lounges in host cities during race weekends.
We’re gearing up for an exciting year ahead in the travel sector, with these opportunities on the horizon for brands to tap on and engage with their most valued customers who are ready to spend on what matters to them. For brands to be successful in the path ahead, it is key to dive deeper into what consumers want. In turn, they will reward you with their loyalty.
Qantas appoints new EVP Asia
Nick McGlynn is Qantas’ new executive vice president Asia, and will be based in Singapore.
In his new role, McGlynn will steer the commercial, financial and operational performance for Qantas across its Asia markets.
He brings nearly 40 years of global aviation experience to the role, and was Jetstar Japan’s executive chairman prior to joining Qantas.
Sean Seah returns to Langham Hospitality Group
Sean Seah has been appointed as senior vice president – strategy, technology and innovation at Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) and will be based at the company’s global headquarters in Hong Kong.
Having previously worked for LHG 2009 in the position of vice president – E-business, loyalty, and partner marketing, Seah will identify emerging market trends and craft innovative approaches to capitalise on those trends in his new role.
He will also steer the development and implementation of new technologies to enhance guest experiences and streamline business activities across the group’s portfolio of hotels and resorts.
Signature Experiences of Australia debuts in South-east Asia
Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences of Australia – a programme which supports industry collaboration across a variety of special interest sectors – made its debut in South-east Asia at a media showcase in Singapore on March 21.
Currently, the eight special interest sectors are golf holidays, guided walks, premium wineries, luxury lodges, fishing adventures, wildlife journeys, cultural attractions, and Aboriginal-guided experiences.
Karen Fitzgerald, general manager experiences, Tourism Australia, explained: “Each of these collectives represent a number of operators that specialise in their particular sector. What we have through (Signature Experiences of Australia) is access to over 190 businesses that altogether offer 750 experiences.
“The powerful thing about this programme is it is not just these businesses in the programme that benefit, but these (operators) collaborate and partner with another 8,000 businesses across Australia (especially in the regional areas), so the halo effect of this is really broad.”
There are plans to launch a new agri-tourism collective, focused on farmers and producers, in about a year’s time.
Fitzgerald elaborated: “One of the things that came out of our post-lockdown research was the desire for wellness and well-being, and understanding the provenance of our food. (We found that) travellers wanted to know what they were putting into their bodies, where was it from, and the food miles (it travels), as sustainability is important to all the collectives.”
Luxury travellers these days, Fitzgerald added, are not just looking to align their passion points, but also have transformational experiences. “I think it will be enticing for travellers to Australia to meet with the producers and farmers, and learn more about the broad range of local products available,” she opined.
When asked how could businesses apply to be part of their respective collectives, Tori Somerville, general manager of Luxury Lodges of Australia, said access was usually by invitation only.
In the case of the luxury lodges collective, a set of criteria must be met.
“For example, they need to have guided experiences, a restaurant onsite, and be trade-ready. We’re not about quantity. In fact, we only recently added the Odalisque III (an expedition-style cruise based in Tasmania), our newest member in nine years,” said Somerville.
Tourism Malaysia takes destination marketing into North-east China
Tourism Malaysia, together with state tourism bodies and the Malaysia Inbound Chinese Association, embarked on a sales mission to explore second-tier cities in China from March 18 to 25, starting from Dalian, Shenyang, Changchun and ending with Harbin.
Through this mission, Tourism Malaysia hopes to strengthen its marketing efforts in China by penetrating the secondary cities through business sessions, seminars, networking, and emphasising promotions on the leisure market and niche segments, such as education tourism, Muslim-friendly tourism, and Malaysia My Second Home programme.
“We hope that this sales mission provides a platform for the Malaysia tourism industry players to foster new relationships with its China counterpart and encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Malaysia, especially with the 30-day visa-free travel to Malaysia (which started December 1, 2023),” said Lee Tai Hung, Tourism Malaysia’s deputy director general (Promotion II), who led the delegation.
Tourism Malaysia’s sales mission to China is among the promotional activities planned for the Chinese market in 2024. The 1st Series of Malaysia Sales Mission to China in April 2023 accumulated a total sale of 42.1 million ringgit (US$8.9 million) and 3.8 million ringgit in publicity value, while the 2nd Series in September 2023 recorded 13 million ringgit in total sales and a publicity value of 3.5 million ringgit.
China remains one of the top market sources for Malaysia and contributed 1,474,114 arrivals to the country last year, a positive growth of 593.4 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2022 with 212,603 arrivals. In 2024, Malaysia is aiming to receive 27.3 million international tourist arrivals with 102.7 billion ringgit in tourism receipts, with five million arrivals targeted to be from the Chinese market.
Through its overseas offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Tourism Malaysia continues to intensify promotions alongside travel agents and airlines in gearing up for the next Visit Malaysia Year set in 2026. With the resumption and announcement of new routes from Malaysia-based airlines and China-based airlines such as Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Air, Loong Air, and Spring Airlines, there are currently 327 flights per week between China and Malaysia.
Malaysia Airlines signs on as Manchester United’s official airline
Malaysia Airlines had signed a strategic, multi-year partnership with the Manchester United football club as its Official Commercial Airline on March 22 in a move to enhance its global reach.
Through this partnership, Malaysia Airlines is poised to extend its renowned Malaysian Hospitality to Manchester United’s vast community of over 1.1 billion fans and followers worldwide by leveraging co-branded marketing initiatives to boost brand recognition to a diverse global audience, while delivering quality service and immersive experiences associated with both brands.
Group managing director of Malaysia Aviation Group, Izham Ismai, said the partnership will boost brand recognition for the airline, especially in Europe and South-east Asia where there is a big fan base.
Brand recognition in Europe is also very important for Malaysia Airlines and the partnership is part of a strategic move as the airline plans to further expand its network in Europe in the near future. Currently, the airline flies only to London.
The airline will also launch flights to three new destinations from its main hub in Kuala Lumpur – Malé, Danang and Chiang Mai.
Malaysia Airlines will commence daily flights to Male beginning August 1, daily flights to Danang from September 24, and five times weekly flights to Chiang Mai from August 15.
This will mark the airline’s 13th destination in South Asia and 16th in South-east Asia.
Sharing at a press conference, Izham commented that Malaysia Airlines will seek more second- and third-tier city routes to fly to in the future due to the growth potential of these routes for both leisure and business segments.
At the same event, held in tandem with MATTA Fair 2024, Malaysia Airlines also unveiled its new A330neo Business Class and Economy Class seats as part of its fleet modernisation plan, ahead of the first aircraft’s scheduled delivery in 3Q2024.
The airline had ordered 12 A330neo aircraft and will take delivery of four aircraft this year and the rest in the coming years.
The new A330neo cabin will feature many ‘firsts’ for the airline and historically in its fleet. Among these is the introduction of the Collins Aerospace Elevation Business Class seats, featuring an all-suite cabin with individual privacy doors, as well as wireless charging pods available at all 28 of the Business Class seats.
The Recaro CL3810 Economy Class seats feature an ergonomic design and enhanced support, coupled with amenities such as coat hooks, cup holder and ample stowage for added cabin comfort and practicality.
The A330neo will be used for the Kuala Lumpur-Melbourne route, as well as to North and South Asia.
Sands Lifestyle launches Asia-wide roadshow series
Sands Resorts Macao has launched its Asia-wide roadshow series, an exclusive fine dining and entertainment extravaganza that highlights Sands Lifestyle’s unique experiences, with two exclusive VIP events held in Beijing and Shanghai on March 19 and 21 respectively.
The Fabric of Macao is an imaginative Sands Lifestyle experience aimed to captivate travel industry representatives, meeting organisers and media partners in the two cities.
The destination showcase shone a spotlight on Sands Lifestyle and its deep connection with the city of Macau with each of its seven pillars: art and culture; destination; connection of people, places and experiences; fashion scene; health and wellness; gastronomy; and entertainment.
The roadshow was an interactive experience which began with guests walking through a tunnel of fabrics featuring different prints that make up The Fabric of Macao, accompanied by a curated mix from Macau DJ Ziyang and an instrumentalist from the applicable host city. Guests enjoyed fine dining and entertainment acts throughout the night; there were also photo opportunities, live artistry in motion with Macanese artist Ada Zhang, and Dragon’s Beard Candy sampling at the Yau Kei Candy Live Demonstration Station.
Stephanie Tanpure, vice president of sales, Sands China, said: “We feel very passionately about elevating Macau on the world stage through lifestyle experiences. Being able to extend that stage to some of our unique artists from Macau, not only amplifies the uniqueness of Macau, but also provides that international platform for our lifestyle partners which continues to be very rewarding.”
The Fabric of Macao will next head to South Korea and Japan in May and June.
Les Roches, Silversea establish cruise line management postgraduate programme
Les Roches and Silversea have partnered to launch a new training course for those interested in pursuing a career onboard cruises.
This innovative programme will offer learning that is highly focused on practical and managerial aspects along with immersion guided by Silversea, which will contribute its invaluable insight into the cruise travel landscape.
To be conducted at Les Roches’ campus in Marbella, Spain, the Postgraduate Diploma in Cruise Line Management will provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to manage and oversee various onboard areas of cruise vessels, in addition to aspects of marketing, revenue management, and other commercial functions pertaining to the cruise industry.
Additionally, students are guaranteed to benefit from a scholarship agreement between both entities, along with the opportunity to gain employment aboard Silversea’s fleet upon completion of the programme.
During the first semester, students will follow a curriculum focusing on cruise operations, developing luxury experiences for guests, learning about luxury accommodation and F&B management on board, sales and revenue, and maritime law.
Within this period, Les Roches will also offer a business trip to Monaco and Miami, home of the world’s largest passenger port. Upon completion of this first part of the programme, students can choose to further engage in the industry practically with an immersion period in the cruise industry with Silversea.
“The luxury cruise sector is an area yet to be fully explored academically, and promoting this diploma positions us at the forefront, once again, of a specialisation that continues to grow year after year,” said Carlos Díez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches.
Silversea president Barbara Muckermann added: “Education and training are key in this service-oriented industry, which is growing fast. Since becoming part of Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea has welcomed six ships to its fleet in just three years, making attracting talented professionals more important than ever. We are delighted to partner with Les Roches, a leading academic institution, to ensure our service remains the best in the industry.”
AirAsia Malaysia will restart its Kuala Lumpur-Vientiane route starting July 2, making it the only airline offering direct flights to all 10 South-east Asian countries.
The two-way services will fly between both cities twice weekly on every Tuesday and Saturday.