Expert Opinions

Making guests feel special is what hotels do best, and hospitality providers should use technology to provide the high-touch connection. Take it from Roman Milisic – who made clothes for Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga out of X-rays and zip ties – and today applies his creative and forward-looking vision in a world of boutique hotels as creative director of the mobile hotel curation, booking and experience platform, Porter & Sail

Despite the pandemic, NDC implementation progress among airlines and travel agencies in the Asia-Pacific region has not been derailed. Ramona Bohwongprasert, senior vice president - India, Southeast Asia & inside sales, travel sellers, Amadeus, shares why investments made in NDC will play a key role in tourism recovery by not only opening new digital retail opportunities, but also helping to deliver tailored offerings to travellers

Phan Le, founder and CEO of VLeisure, shares how a paradigm shift in the travel technology industry is allowing smaller hotels to compete with the big chains on a much more level playing field.

As focus on traveller safety and enhanced customer experience comes to the fore, hotels can turn to video analytics for insights to guide their decisions, says Benjamin Low, vice president, Asia Pacific, Milestone Systems

VLeisure's CEO and founder Phan Le outlines the effective distribution strategies that hotels should undertake in a highly competitive and fast-changing environment.

Robert Williams and Lada Shelkovnikova, partners at Withersworldwide, assess the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on operators and the hospitality industry as a whole, and the measures employers and hoteliers ought take to manage the health risks and concerns of travellers.

Kevin Phun, director of Centre for Responsible Tourism Singapore, shares the impacts climate change has on tourism, and how tourism players have to learn not just to adapt to climate change, but also to leverage its presence to propel the industry forward.

A 2021 survey by Dettol showed that 77 per cent of respondents are concerned about flying. As international borders reopen, upholding strict hygiene protocols in airports and airlines, and enhancing personal hygiene are essential, says Sumeet Vohra, president, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea, Reckitt

The Tourism Authority of Thailand argues why shutting down elephant tourism camps in South-east Asia isn’t a sensible solution, and urges proper solutions and management practices to be put into place to handle the problems surrounding elephant tourism, citing recommendations from the Asian Captive Elephant Working Group (ACEWG).

Sarah Samuel, Head of Airport IT, Amadeus Asia Pacific, shares why airport operators need to invest in a touch-free future to cater to evolving passenger demands and drive non-aeronautical revenues.