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More looking to leave travel and tourism job, industry: ACI Report
The ACI Report 2021, an annual salary and employment trends study, has painted a bleak picture of a travel and tourism industry afflicted with job losses and reduced employee confidence.
Drawing inputs from a sample of 829 travel, tourism, hospitality and lifestyle personnel from across Asia-Pacific and surrounding regions, the study identified 74 per cent of respondents whose jobs were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Twenty-four per cent were made redundant in 2020 while 50 per cent experienced salary cuts, with a majority 36 per cent taking a 25-50 per cent reduction and 28 per cent shouldering a steeper cut of 50 per cent or higher.
Among retrenched respondents, 83 per cent were employed in their organisation for under five years while the most vulnerable age group was 46-55 years old, with 53 per cent of respondents from this age bracket being affected.
Twenty per cent of respondents have indicated reduced confidence in the travel and tourism industry and will instead pursue a career elsewhere; technology/IT, health care and education emerged top alternative industries.
At the same time, 68 per cent of respondents plan to leave their employers or the industry in the next 12 months, with 27 per cent open to exploring opportunities outside of the industry compared to just 15 per cent the previous year. The study pointed out that desires to exit the travel and tourism industry have been growing the past two years.
In terms of salary progression, only 28 per cent of respondents had received some form of increment in 2020 – representing a large drop compared against 2019 where 65 per cent enjoyed a pay growth. Thirty-nine per cent received a bonus in 2020, compared to 60 per cent the previous year, with the majority 40 per cent enjoying one to two months of bonus and 32 per cent receiving less than a month’s bonus.
While 74 per cent viewed career progression as extremely important or very important – compared to 70 per cent in 2019 – only 32 per cent surveyed said they believed their employer offered excellent or good opportunities for career progression, down from 2019’s 40 per cent. A further 34 per cent indicated that career prospects with their present employer were poor or zero, up from 30 per cent in 2019.
Andrew Chan, founder and CEO of ACI HR Solutions, the company behind the annual survey, told TTG Asia that while the results “were certainly distressing to read”, they reflected industry observations throughout 2020.
“Not surprising, most respondents thought deeply about their career progression amid this pandemic crisis, and really evaluated how their employer, or perhaps even if the industry could satisfy that. We saw one of the biggest discrepancies and disconnect on this issue in this year’s report compared to our previous surveys,” said Chan.
Commenting on the strong desires to exit a travel and tourism job or the industry, Chan explained that the 20 per cent who lost confidence in the industry might be finding it challenging to regain employment.
“Young graduates who were just entering the industry (might also be) spooked by the pandemic,” he said, adding that the report highlights an unemployment rate of nine per cent.
“The 68 per cent considering changing jobs over the next 12 months was surprisingly high. However, if we consider that many are still working on reduced salary, and perhaps functioning on fewer resources and/or covering colleagues who were retrenched, their work stress would be elevated. So, perhaps it is not surprising that many are keeping one eye out for new opportunities that would see their salary expectations returned and work stress reduced,” he added.
When asked about recovery solutions that are available to employers who hope to rebuild staff loyalty despite current business conditions, Chan advised continued internal communications that highlight key timelines to staff so they know when salary levels may be reinstated or when staffing levels may return to ease their work loads.
He acknowledged that “fiscal responsibilities and staff morale is a challenge to balance at the moment, and very much still depends on the macro environment”, but emphasised that respondents are mostly happy with how their employers have handled the crisis.
“A high percentage of 56 rated their company’s handling of the pandemic as excellent or good, and another 28 per cent thought it was fair, which indicates to me that employees are generally very understanding of the situation,” he remarked.
A safe getaway awaits at the newly refurbished Mint Hotel
The Mint Hotel is a room category that features cutting-edge materials and intelligent design principles. Under the advice of medical professionals from Farrer Park Hospital, all 176 rooms in the Mint Hotel come with anti-viral wallcoverings, moveable furniture and the use of anti-microbial blind fabrics to allow the guest rooms to be sanitized more thoroughly.
Furthermore, carpets have been removed from guestrooms and common areas and replaced with custom gapless vinyl flooring. This does not trap dirt and can be easily cleaned and disinfected. To evoke an openness to the space, earthen tones now adorn the walls and new mood lighting fixtures have been installed.
Mental health is just as important as physical health and one way to ensure positive vibes is to get good sleep. At the same time, hotel guests spend 6-10 hours per day resting on pillows, making it one of the highest touchpoints for the hotel. In a bid to enhance guests’ quality of sleep, while improving hygiene levels, One Farrer Hotel created the Pillow Lab.
The Pillow Lab, projected to launch in early 2021, uses an industry-leading Ultraviolet-C (UVC) Chamber to remove all pathogens, natural microbiota, moulds, and yeasts. One Farrer Hotel will also be making a range of hypoallergenic pillows available for guests to purchase at the Pillow Lab as well as at the hotel lobby. With the Pillow Lab at One Farrer Hotel, guests can be assured of a restful sleep with peace of mind.
In addition to the Mint Hotel and the Pillow Lab, other health and safety measures in place include contactless entry points and sanitizer stations throughout the premises, sterilization of key cards and in-room amenities with specialized UVC chests, sterilization of guestrooms and bathrooms with UVC lamps, safe distancing demarcations for events and common areas, as well as staggered check-in and check-out times.
In redefining its dining concept for the age of safe distancing, the hotel is also launching the Nest at One Farrer. To meet increasing demand for private dining experiences, the Nest at One Farrer offers discerning diners bespoke menus by the hotel’s award-winning culinary team as well as a retinue of world-renowned guest chefs – all while immersing themselves in lush ambience and panoramic views of the Singapore skyline.
Qantas moves to restart international flights from July
Australia’s national carrier Qantas Airways has resumed bookings for international flights from July 1, 2021, signifying that overseas travel may return earlier than anticipated.
The airline started taking bookings for almost all flights across its international network on Tuesday.
Ticket sales for Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, which was planned to start in March, have been pushed back to July, while other destinations like the US and London have been brought forward from October.
Currently, New Zealand is the only overseas destination serviced by Qantas.
“Recently, we have aligned the selling of our international services to reflect our expectation that international travel will begin to restart from July 2021,” Qantas said.
“We continue to review and update our international schedule in response to the developing Covid-19 situation.”
While tickets are on sale, the airline said the resumption of international flights would be subject to vaccine rollouts and border rules.
Qantas’ move has come under fire, with deputy prime minister Michael McCormack saying: “Decisions about when international travel resumes will be made by the Australian Government. International borders will be opened when international arrivals do not pose a risk to Australians.”
He added: “The Australian government is working on travel arrangements with countries, such as New Zealand, that have low community infections.”
Manila to get second Pullman
Accor has signed a deal with Primex Realty Corporation to open the Pullman Manila at Primex Tower, a mixed-use development currently under construction in the Greenhills district of San Juan, metro Manila.
Slated for completion in 2023, the 200-key upscale hotel will be situated on the upper floors of the complex, with retail and office spaces occupying the lower floors.
Pullman Manila at Primex Tower will boast two restaurants, a lobby lounge, rooftop bar, fitness centre and swimming pool. Meeting and events facilities will include a ballroom, meeting rooms and a business centre.
This marks the second Pullman hotel in Manila, with the first set to debut in the Makati CBD come 4Q2022.
Accor plans to boost its presence in the Philippines from seven hotels to 23 hotels within the next five years, according to Garth Simmons, CEO, Accor Southeast Asia, Japan & South Korea.
Princess Cruises extends pause through May 2021
Princess Cruises is extending its pause of sailings through May 14, 2021, including sailings in the Caribbean and along the California Coast, plus early season Alaska and Europe cruises.
The decision was made in light of the ongoing uncertainty around travel restrictions, said the company. In preparation for its return to service, the cruise line will continue to develop its plans to meet the Framework for Conditional Sailing Order issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Guests currently booked on these cancelled voyages will have the option to receive a refundable Future Cruise Credit (FCC) equivalent to 100 per cent of the cruise fare paid, plus an additional non-refundable bonus FCC equal to 25 per cent of the cruise fare paid.
To receive the above FCCs, no action is required by the guest or their travel advisor. The FCCs can be used on any cruises booked by May 1, 2022 and sailing by December 31, 2022. Alternatively, guests can request a full refund for all monies paid on their booking before February 15, 2021.
Princess said it will protect travel advisor commission on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full, in recognition of the critical role they play in the cruise line’s business and success.
Earlier, Princess had also extended its pause for cruises departing from Australia and New Zealand through May 31, 2021, as well as Japan cruises through June 25, 2021.
Singapore Airlines extends elite status
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is providing a one-year extension to all existing PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite memberships that will expire between March 2021 and February 2022.
For PPS Club members, any Reserve Value that expires between March 2021 and February 2023 will also have its validity extended to between March 2023 and February 2024. This will provide them with more flexibility in utilising their Reserve Value for subsequent membership renewal.
For KrisFlyer Elite members, any Elite miles earned in the 12 months prior to the latest extension will be automatically credited back into their accounts after the membership is extended between March 2021 and February 2022.
Several new features have also been introduced by SIA to enhance the KrisFlyer and PPS Club programmes.
KrisFlyer has launched KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, a new initiative which rewards members for Elite miles earned on SIA, SilkAir and Scoot flights. KrisFlyer members can claim rewards such as KrisPay miles and cabin-class Advance Upgrades onboard SIA and SilkAir flights at various milestones of their miles accrual journey, starting from just 5,000 Elite miles earned.
With effect from January 1, 2021, KrisFlyer members will also earn Elite miles on Scoot flights. This will count towards KrisFlyer Elite membership status renewal or upgrade, and redemption for KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards.
PPS Club members will also enjoy additional benefits on Scoot flights from February 2021. These include priority check-in and boarding, an additional allowance of 5kg with any baggage purchase, a one-time complimentary booking change, and complimentary standard seat selection.
Travelling more with loved ones top 2021 priority: survey
As we step into 2021, people globally plan to travel more with friends and family this year, and are committed to taking more spontaneous trips and making more eco-friendly travel choices, found a recent Agoda survey.
According to the travel platform’s What Matters 2021 online survey, which polled more than 16,000 adults, one in three people are most looking forward to spending more quality time with loved ones this year. This is followed by being able to travel unhindered (24 per cent) and doing things that matter or make a difference (21 per cent).
Interestingly, respondents 55 and above were most looking forward to travelling unhindered, while those between ages 25-54 were keen to spend quality time with family and friends, and youths (18-24) were most excited about doing things that matter or making a difference in 2021.
Getting closer to nature and the great outdoors is the third most popular thing respondents 55 and above were looking forward to.
Tim Hughes, vice president of corporate development, Agoda, said: “2020 was a year of survival and of making the best of it. Despite all that struggle and hardship, our research shows that there’s a global desire for travel, connection, meaning and spending time with friends and family. Travel will resume eventually, because, ultimately, the human desire to travel is unstoppable.
“At Agoda, we believe in the future of travel. Our research backs this up, confirming that travel is one of the top things people look forward to in 2021. More than that – people are committed to making a difference, travelling with people who matter, open to more unplanned, last-minute trips, and considering the environmental impact they make as they travel.”
Spending more quality time with loved ones is what most people from the UK, Thailand, the US, the Philippines, Malaysia and China are most looking forward to in 2021.
In fact, travelling more with loved ones is the top thing all markets across all age groups are most likely to commit to doing differently when travelling in 2021, with the exception of the UK and Taiwan, where respondents favour adventure and taking more spontaneous trips; and Japan tourists who are inclined to travel at a slower pace. Travelling at a slower pace is also the second most popular commitment for Singaporeans and Malaysians.
Being able to travel unhindered is what Singaporeans, South Koreans and Japanese are most looking forward to doing in the new year; while doing things that matter or make a difference is what Indonesians, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese are most looking forward to.
Getting closer to nature and the great outdoors is second on the list for Thais, and third for Japanese.
Reflecting the growing eco-tourism trend, Vietnamese, South Koreans, Filipinos, Thais and Indonesians are more likely to commit to travel sustainably. Commitment to making more eco-friendly travel choices comes in second for these markets. As well, Indonesians (16 per cent), Thais (14 per cent) and Japanese (13 per cent) commit to consciously support less touristy destinations in the new year.
New hotels: Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, and more
Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh is set to debut in the Cambodian capital this month, with the hotel now taking bookings for stays from January 15. Situated in the heart of Doun Penh district, the property will house 247 guestrooms including 43 suites. Five dining venues will be on offer including The Attic, a speakeasy-style bar; as well as an open-plan dining concept called FiveFive Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, offering views of the Phnom Penh skyline alongside cocktails and DJ performances. Facilities include a spa; outdoor tropical infinity pool; 24-hour fitness centre; as well as 1,400m2 of meeting and event space, including the Regency Ballroom.
Mövenpick Hotel Hobart, Australia
Accor’s Swiss-born hotel brand Mövenpick has signed a hotel management agreement with Singapore-based hospitality group Global Premium Hotels to launch the first Mövenpick hotel in Australia. Slated to open in mid-January, Mövenpick Hotel Hobart will sit on Elizabeth Street, close to the bustling Hobart waterfront. The new build hotel will boast 221 guestrooms and suites, an Italian restaurant, and gym. The property will also feature a flexible function space for up to 100 guests, which can be divided into two smaller meeting rooms, alongside a pre-event area and full bar.
Azerai Ke Ga Bay, Vietnam
Azerai Ke Ga Bay, an oceanfront retreat in south-eastern Vietnam, has debuted as the third property in Azerai Resorts’ growing portfolio. The 46-key resort, a combination of suites and private-pool suites, succeeds Princess D’Annam Resort & Spa on the same site following an extensive renovation. The Azerai Spa fronts the ocean with 10 private treatment rooms, in addition to modern hydrotherapy facilities, relaxation lounges and daybeds, a beauty studio, a Jacuzzi, and a gym. The Terrace, The Dining Room and The Living Room provide a variety of all-day dining and lounging options, serving up local delicacies with a focus on plentiful offerings from the sea. Also on-site are four swimming pools, a boutique, children’s centre, as well as a meeting room for corporate events and functions.
Kyoto Yura Hotel Nijo Jo Bettei MGallery, Japan
Accor has introduced its second MGallery Hotel in Japan with the opening of Kyoto Yura Hotel Nijo Jo Bettei MGallery. Situated in the cityscape of Kyoto, the luxury boutique hotel offers a collection of 25 rooms, ranging from the 40-45m² Deluxe Room to the 53m2 Rikyu Suite. All rooms come with amenities such as espresso machines, air purifiers, mini-bars and separate bathrooms; while select rooms feature balconies with views towards Nijo Castle. The hotel’s restaurant and bar, Singular, specialises in French offerings, prepared using local ingredients from across the region.
Dusit Thani Wellness Resort Suzhou, Jiangsu; China
Thailand’s Dusit International has continued its expansion in China with the recent opening of the Dusit Thani Wellness Resort Suzhou, Jiangsu – the 10th Dusit-branded property in China. Located in Shushan Ecological Village in Suzhou city’s Huqiu District, the luxury wellness resort comprises 175 rooms and signature villas. From the hot springs to the Thai-inspired Devarana Spa, and restaurants serving customised wellness cuisine, every element of the resort has been designed to promote guests’ well-being. The resort also offers a range of wellness retreat packages combining luxurious accommodation with fitness routines, nutritious meals, hot springs bath, massage treatments, and other wellness-focused activities.
Venturing into virtual space
Like most tour guides who made the leap into the virtual experience market to tide through the Covid-19 slump, Lee Xian Jie also ventured down the same route – what’s interesting is that his virtual pivot happened because of a dog.
The 30-year-old Singaporean, who runs Kyoto-based tour agency Craft Tabby with his business partner, Yasuhiro Shiwaku, made the decision to pause the company’s in-person tours last February, at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak in China.
Towards the end of June, it became clearer to them that Covid-19 would drag on. When approached by Airbnb to craft a product for its Online Experiences platform, Lee was initially resistant to the idea as he thought the whole point of travel was to experience things first-hand.
“But I had been taking the downtime to pursue my interest in plant identification, and was walking my dog Mori endlessly. One day, I was taking her on a walk through the Kyoto Gyoen National Garden where the Imperial Palace is, and called my family in Singapore to show them how Mori was sniffing and chewing at wildflowers,” he recounted.
“Mori was born wild in the forest so she was especially interested in flowers that happened to have medicinal properties, and ignored all the toxic flowers.”
It was then that the idea of a virtual tour with Mori hit him, and Flower Hunting in Kyoto with Mori the Doggo was born. Since its launch last April, Lee has taken hundreds of virtual travellers on a live tour of the Palace grounds, identifying wild flowers and plants that Mori stopped by, with the help of a botanist friend.
Response for the online experience has been “overwhelming” from the get-go, according to Lee. “People were booking it for loved ones who love plants, but had mobility issues and would never be able to fly to Japan, and I was surprised by how older guests were the most enthusiastic,” he shared. “Over half of the people on the first tour were over 60, and almost everyone was using Zoom for the first time.”
Today, Craft Tabby has expanded its online experience menu to include Forest Bathe in Kyoto’s Sacred Mountain, an adaptation of its popular Alternative Fushimi Inari Walking Tour; and Zoom Around Kyoto the City of Water, exploring how Kyoto’s underground water sources shaped the city’s food, culture and spirituality. Elsewhere, Fly Like A Dragon in the Dragon Village involves flying a drone through scenic spots in the Ryujinmura Village in Wakayama Prefecture.
Starting off with about 50 bookings in April, that number swelled to 500 in November, with the rollout of new products along the way. Last month, the company secured about 1,000 bookings, partially made up of corporate clients.
Lee explained: “Online experiences are very different from in-person tours. They are never just about a place, but about seeing things that cannot be seen in real life. For example, I go under waterfalls at Mt Inari to demonstrate the traditional waterfall meditation and ritual for Forest Bathe in Kyoto’s Sacred Mountain.
“That’s something I wouldn’t be able to do on the actual tour because there are spiritual spaces, not somewhere you can take others for touristic purposes.”
In Zoom Around Kyoto the City of Water, Turkish-born guide Gulay takes guests to eight different places scattered across the city in one hour, tying the story together with the theme of water. Lee said: “Most people would not physically be able to visit all eight places in one day in real life, let alone one hour.”
The virtual pivot has made Craft Tabby less of a tour guiding company, and more of an agency that creates interactive documentary experiences, described Lee.
“It has opened us to new markets, like psychologist networking groups who want to experience forest bathing in the land where forest bathing was born, and teams from companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google, and IBM wanting to see how we are using Zoom in a totally new way,” he said, adding that his past experience as a documentary producer for Al Jazeera English came in handy when crafting online experiences.
As well, Craft Tabby has collaborated with Singapore tour agency Lion Heartlanders to bring online experiences in Japan to hundreds of schoolchildren in Singapore. “We are now working on a new live tour where schoolchildren can control the narrative and see things happening in Japan in real time,” Lee said.
The bulk of Craft Tabby’s bookings for online experiences comes via the Airbnb’s Experiences platform. While its offerings have been listed on TripAdvisor, Sistic and other booking sites, more than 90 per cent of bookings have come through Airbnb, shared Lee. “We expect this percentage to fall as more group bookings come through experience providers like Lion Heartlanders,” he added.
These days, Lee has also been kept busy restoring a farmhouse in Ryujinmura Village. In future, he plans to run nature tours and a farm-to-table organic café there – a retirement plan he said was brought forward by Covid-19. Revenue earned from his Fly Like A Dragon in the Dragon Village experience, which was shot in that village, is pumped into the restoration project.
Looking ahead, Lee said the agency plans to hire and train local guides to give in-depth nature tours and workshops in Ryujinmura. Post-pandemic, he will also resume work on creating an English-language app to guide visitors to hidden gems in Kyoto where they can learn about specific aspects of the city’s culture.
Digital health passes and certificates can play a pivotal role in tourism recovery by boosting consumer confidence when travelling during the Covid era, highlighted a recent report by GlobalData.
The analytics company noted that several stakeholders of the travel and tourism industry, including destinations, airlines and associations like IATA, are exploring the option of digital passes and health certificates.
These digital passes and certificates intend to lower the risk of Covid-19 infection by providing accurate details on the health status of passengers.
Since May 2020, Singapore has been testing ICC AOKpass, a digitally verifiable Covid-19 health certificate for entrance to the country. It is backed by health and security services provider International SOS, International Chamber of Commerce and AOKpass. In line with this, all travellers from Indonesia and Malaysia can make use of the facility that will be made available to other international travellers in a phased manner.
AOKpass is also being used on flights between Abu Dhabi and Karachi/ Islamabad as well as Rome and New York City/Atlanta. Another similar digital pass, CommonPass, has been tested on flights between New York and London. Additionally, IATA is also working on a Travel Pass.
Animesh Kumar, director of travel & tourism and automotive consulting at GlobalData, said: “Digital passes help passengers prove that they adhere to the health entry requirements of their destination and enhance the safety of international travellers. Since these can be stored in and used through a mobile application, they are easy to use. The app securely stores and authenticates the negative Covid-19 PCR test results. The passes can also facilitate faster clearances if airports have dedicated immigration counters, similar to Changi Airport in Singapore.”
Stressing the urgent need for a framework that brings the passengers, testing labs, local authorities, airlines and immigration authorities on a common platform, GlobalData said that such digital passes/certificates can facilitate that. The use of QR codes, blockchain and decentralised data ensures data accuracy as well as privacy, it added.
A large-scale rollout of such passes would reduce the lag created by the time-consuming processing of paper certificates, which are also susceptible to potential test result frauds.
Kumar concluded: “Digital health passes would help in boosting the consumers’ confidence as they would enhance efficiency, safety, security as well as data privacy and reduce the risks of in-flight infections. There is also a potential for expanding the use of such digital passes for domestic travel as well as entry in concerts and stadiums.”