Expert Opinions

Ruben Toral, principal with Intermedika Consulting and a specialist in branding, business strategy and medical tourism for hospitals, health resorts, governments and investors worldwide, says Thailand has all she needs to be the Retirement Capital of Asia but a smart strategy is needed.

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.

Brent Thomas, director of public policy for Asia Pacific, Airbnb, urges governments to relook regulations on short-term rentals – a sector which he claims can help to hasten tourism recovery by attracting price-sensitive tourists in the post-Covid world.

As recovery unfolds across the globe, travel players must prepare for new realities and rethink their operations in order to fully capitalise on the rebound, opined Frederic Ho, vice president of APAC, Jumio Corporation.

Hotels today need operational agility to keep up with shifting guest expectations and evolving technology, and that requires being intentional with their technology decisions, opines Priyanka Gargav, head of commercial, SEA & HK with payments platform Adyen

In the midst of the pandemic, some destinations have swiftly seized new business opportunities to keep the tourism dollars flowing, shared Jameson Wong, director of APAC for tourism & hospitality at ForwardKeys.

Todd Handcock, president Asia Pacific at Collinson, examines why it is crucial for travel providers to keep the conversation going with customers amid the coronavirus crisis, and how brands can continue to inspire travel and build consumer confidence to drive post-pandemic recovery.

Indonesia has the perfect landscape and resources to make it one of the most spectacular tourist destinations on earth. But getting to that point will require design-led thinking and a flexible approach to engineering planning, opines Varman Ramachandran, Aurecon’s country director for Indonesia and client director – energy, resources and manufacturing for Asia.

When tourism recovers in Asia, the integrated resort sector will become a hotbed for foreign investors and owner operators looking to capitalise on the market, says Matthew Pryor, managing director at Tenman Project Management, part of MaceTpm, a leading project and programme manager for hospitality, integrated resorts and gaming projects in Asia

Caesar Indra, president of Traveloka, shares how travel has evolved due to the pandemic, and the important role that superapps now play in this world of digitalisation