China’s inbound tourism market will take a long time to recover from the coronavirus as the country must work on repairing its brand image, which has been marred due to negative narrative in international media as well as its close ties to the virus outbreak, according to GlobalData.
Pre Covid-19, China was predicted a steady CAGR of two per cent between 2016 and 2020, reaching 63.9 million international arrivals, found the study.
China needs to work on repairing its brand image and assuring tourists that the country is a safe destination: GlobalData; tourists wearing medical masks in Yu Garden, Shanghai this April pictured
However, the fallout from the global pandemic which originated in China has severely impacted China as a tourism destination as well as Chinese travellers.
China outbound tourism is a significant contributor to the global tourism industry, accounting for 159 million global outbound travellers in 2019, according to GlobalData.
Moreover, the Chinese outbound market had the second-highest spending last year, with an expenditure of US$275 billion. As such, the introduction of travel restrictions impacted not only China as a tourism destination, but also many other destinations that rely on high-yielding Chinese visitors.
Amber Barnes, travel and tourism analyst at GlobalData, said: “China as a tourist destination will not be able to rebound quickly and it is uncertain how long it will take the tourism industry to recover. Additionally, the brand image of China as a destination may be damaged. This is due to the virus starting in China which means tourists may have fear of the destination.”
GlobalData’s latest report, Case Study: Impact of Covid-19 on Destinations, revealed that the predicted forecast of 64 million international arrivals in 2020 will be impacted due to Covid-19. International arrivals were predicted to increase from the 62.6 million international arrivals which China received in 2019.
Barnes continued: “This steady increase will change to reflect a slowdown in 2020. The uncertainty of Covid-19 indicates tourism destinations will take time to recover and travellers will have doubts and fears about travelling in the future.
“Tourism organisations and authorities must promote and reassure tourists that China is a safe tourism destination to attract tourists once Covid-19 is controlled.
“China does have the potential to recover as a destination. The country previously has shown robustness to recover from a pandemic. This was severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which originated in China and quickly spread globally in 2002. This emphasises that although a lengthy process, the brand image and tourism destination can be restored, provided the relevant DMOs engage travellers with effective campaigns.”
Indonesia’s travel trade is calling on the government to step up publicity around the country’s disaster recovery efforts and latest developments of tourist attractions amid the pandemic so that travel planners can keep up destination promotions in hopes of a quick market rebound.
Speaking at the webinar titled Facing the Impact of Covid-19 and a Glimmer of Hope for the Tourism Industry recently, Budi Tirtawisata, CEO of Panorama Group, said: “Tourism has been a big darling in the last few years. Everybody was talking about tourism. (It was considered) a low-hanging fruit, a quick win. (Now), suddenly there is no good news about tourism.
A dearth of information regarding Indonesia’s tourism recovery hinders destination marketers’ promotion efforts; a warning banner with the words “stay at home” guards the entrance gate to the Kuta Beach in Bali which has been closed to prevent spread of coronavirus
“We need a good spokesperson for the industry and having good leadership will make it easier for us in the industry to get through this. I think the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy is very important here.”
Monas Tjahjono, managing director of Monas Tours & Travel Surabaya, said on a separate occasion that while the government provided regular updates on the number of Covid-19 cases, the world needed to know also the developments surrounding the tourist destinations and attractions.
Agreeing, Yulhendry Sulhatris, director of Synergy Ravelindo Tours & Travel Medan, said that his European tour operator partners still wanted to promote Indonesian tourism on their websites and social media despite the crisis, but updated information on national parks, temples, and other tourist sites were lacking.
He also bemoaned the dearth of promotional materials about the country that is available in English, citing the example of Wonderful Danau Toba’s Facebook page that is in Bahasa Indonesia. “Indonesia has VITOs (Visit Indonesia Tourism Officers) overseas, and they need us to feed them with information in English,” he said.
Noting that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MTCE) had tweaked its slogan from Wonderful Indonesia to Thoughtful Indonesia in a bid to show Indonesia’s empathy towards the current situation, Yulhendry expressed hopes that its stance will be backed up with actions.
He opined that the Ministry needed to step up its global dissemination of accurate and timely information on the safety precautions and measures Indonesia was taking to ensure that the destination is safe to travel.
Eka Chandra Winata, country manager VITO France, said that such information is vital so they can feed the media with up-to-date information in order to bolster travellers’ confidence.
Ng Sebastian, managing director of Incito Vacations, lamented that the strict measures put into place by the Indonesian communities were not given sufficient coverage in national media, let alone internationally.
He said: “Even the people in the most remote villages in East Nusa Tenggara are diligently practising social distancing. The people of Latung Village in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara organised the traditional ritual of Keppe Banggang (gate closing) because of the (pandemic), where they not only closed road access to the village, but also the port.”
More people in villages across the archipelago were getting more aware of the pandemic and called on their family members working in the cities in the red zones not to go home during the Hari Raya holidays or they will be put under a 14-day quarantine, according to Sebastian, who added that such moves made by citizens were not heard by the international audience.
Individually, hotels and travel companies continue to engage with their clients and business partners through their own social media platforms and websites.
Monas Tours & Travel, for example, encourages its Instagram followers to take part in story-telling and quizzes, among other forms of engagement.
Norberto Rodriguez, co-founder of Come2Indonesia, a Bali-based travel company specialising in Spanish-speaking markets, said that as soon as the pandemic is over, the tour operators in Europe would be eager to sell, so the agency has been continuing promotions through social media and influencers to ensure that Indonesia remains top of mind for travellers.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon G20 tourism ministers to lead a united and coordinated recovery for the travel and tourism sector out of the Covid-19 crisis.
The UN body said that only the G20 has “the power to influence and drive forward a coordinated recovery effort needed to preserve the sector”.
Only the G20 can drive forward a coordinated recovery response to the Covid-19 crisis: WTTC
The Tourism Ministers meeting, due to take place on April 24, is set to discuss how to combat the crisis crippling the entire travel and tourism sector.
The Covid-19 outbreak is threatening the jobs of 75 million people around the world, with one million jobs being lost daily, according to WTTC data.
Ahead of the meeting, WTTC has praised the G20 for freezing the debt of the world’s poorest countries as a major step towards enabling them to bolster their health systems, to save lives and combat Covid-19.
Gloria Guevara, WTTC president & CEO, said: “The G20’s proven record, which powered the recovery following the financial crisis in 2008, and the recent decisive action to freeze debt proves this forum is the best platform with the speed and agility needed to drive forward the urgent actions required to set the pace and save the global travel and tourism sector, and enable it to survive and thrive.”
As such, Guevara said that WTTC proposed for the tourism ministers participating in the meeting to fully jointly commit with the private sector to four key principles to enable a faster recovery.
“This would include a seamless traveller journey with enhanced health security standards enabled through technology, developing joint public-private and G20-wide health protocols, as well as ongoing support packages for the tourism sector beyond lifting of lockdowns and into the recovery,” she said.
In detail, WTTC’s four principles to ensure swift recovery for the travel and tourism sector and the global economy following the end of the Covid-19 outbreak, are:
A joint public-private coordinated approach to re-establish effective operations, remove travel barriers and reopen borders. This would ensure the efficient resumption of flights, movement of people and wide-scale travel essential to re-build confidence in travel and tourism.
Enhance seamless traveller journey experience, combining the latest technology and protocols to increase health standards.
Work with the private sector and health experts to define global standards for the new normal, which is grounded in science and can be easily adopted by businesses of every size across all travel industries globally.
Continue providing support to the travel and tourism sector during the recovery phase, including financial aid for workers and businesses to promote a swift recovery.
Following these four principles will “reduce the recovery timeframe of the global economy and offer reassurance to travellers that the time is right once more to explore and visit”, said WTTC.
The economic importance of the travel and tourism sector to the G20 is demonstrated by the latest WTTC 2020 Economic Impact report, which shows it supported more than 211 million jobs, or 9.5 per cent of the G20’s total workforce.
The G20 includes some of the key source markets to the majority of regions around the world, with travel and tourism across the G20 representing 76 per cent of global travel and tourism GDP in 2019.
The sector also generated US$6.7 trillion to the GDP, or 9 per cent to the total G20 economy, growing by 3.7 per cent from the previous year. The comprehensive report shows this growth outperformed the overall G20 GDP growth in 2019 of 2.6 per cent in the same year.
With falling occupancy rates and the closure of more hotels as tourism dries up, a number of hoteliers in Indonesia are trying to preserve jobs by resorting to reduced work weeks and pay cuts, as well as reshuffling employees’ job duties, amid the pandemic.
One general manager at a hotel in Malioboro, Yogyakarta, who requested anonymity, told TTG Asia that during the shutdown, his staff has been focusing on general cleaning.
101 Yogyakarta Tugu hotel introduced shorter work hours to prevent layoffs amid epidemic
“With this system, the management not only avoids layoffs, but also ensures that the hotel stays clean, sanitised, and well-maintained,” he said.
Should the pandemic drag on, he has prepared a mutual cooperation scheme to get employees with higher pay to funnel part of their salaries to support those earning a minimum wage.
On the other hand, Wahyu Wikan Trispratiwi, general manager at 101 Yogyakarta Tugu, said that the hotel avoids layoffs by reducing the work week for employees.
Wikan added: “We also send staff for training during the lull and shorten hours for services such as in-room dining, as every staff member needs to take on additional duties for now. The housekeeping team, for example, has to wash uniforms, which was previously outsourced to external suppliers.”
A number of members from Indonesian Hotel General Managers (IHGM) Yogyakarta chapter recently gathered to discuss how the industry can avoid job losses and pay cuts, which could pose a long-term risk to the country’s tourism sector.
Kukuh Wibawanto, IHGM’s Yogyakarta chapter chairman, elaborated: “The impact (of Covid-19) has been deemed worse than the 1998 financial crisis, while we noticed that there are some young general managers who are nervous about having to deal with the situation. “
A lack of experience has left these young general managers at a loss as to how to negotiate with the owners to stay open, which in turn, forces them to shutter their hotels and lay off employees, Kukuh said, adding that the ability to negotiate with the owner plays an important role in ensuring business continuity.
“The general manager has to convince the owner that what needs to be considered is not just survival during the pandemic, but more importantly, how we can rebound when the pandemic is over. It will be much difficult to fight back with a new team,” he elaborated.
Kukuh cited the case of two general managers who successfully made the call to temporarily suspend operations without laying off staff, saying that their success has prompted IHGM to start online training courses to assist hoteliers faced with the difficult decision of a hotel closure.
Tackling the issue of how to cut costs without cutting staff, Kukuh advised hotels to completely turn off electricity from the outlet, including elevators and air conditioners. The management needs to cut off the TV cable and modify or terminate the order with suppliers to suit their current operating needs, as well as negotiate credit terms or payment reductions, he added.
“This energy efficiency saves expenses by more than 50 per cent, while reducing employees only cut costs by less than 20 per cent,” Kukuh said.
During closure, rankings are thrown out the window, with all employees taking on housekeeping and general cleaning duties. Employees’ workspaces are closed and moved to restaurants, with limited equipment.
Kukuh shared that high-ranking executives have to settle for less pay, while all employees are not paid service charges.
To further support tourism businesses during the circuit breaker and to give them a headstart for recovery, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has rolled out several new initiatives, including aid to ease cash flow concerns for travel agents.
The new relief measures complement the government’s allocation of more than S$60 billion (US$43 billion) to tide businesses and individuals through the pandemic.
Singapore Tourism Board rolls out initiatives to provide further relief to tourism businesses and workers
As part of the efforts, STB has launched a S$20 million Marketing Partnership Programme to help tourism businesses maintain their international presence, and build demand for when the market recovers.
Under the programme, STB will support part of the marketing costs, and award additional funding boosters to companies that collaborate with other tourism stakeholders to create value-added experiences.
Following the launch of Phase 1 of the programme for hotels on April 1, 2020, STB will be increasing support from 50 per cent to 70 per cent of qualified marketing costs, and will extend the programme to attractions, inbound travel agents, and the corporate sector in Phase 2. Applications for Phase 2 will open in early May, and interested applicants can email MPP@stb.gov.sg.
In addition, STB has launched the SG Stories Content Fund to encourage and support local and international content creators to create compelling stories of strength, resilience, solidarity and unity in Singapore.
The S$2 million fund for digital video content will cover the costs of creative development and conceptualisation, production and execution, as well as marketing and distribution. The fund will support 90 per cent of qualifying costs, capped at S$150,000 per project.
This complements funding support from the National Arts Council and the Infocomm Media Development Authority, as part of STB’s overall collective efforts to support the creative community.
Applications will open from May 1 to 31, 2020. All filming activities must adhere to prevailing safe distancing measures, said STB. As such, during the current circuit breaker period, all outdoor filming is prohibited and all content must be produced from home, it added.
In light of how Covid-19 is changing consumer behaviour and will have a lasting impact on travel, STB has developed a set of tools under a three-step framework to accelerate the tourism sector’s digital transformation.
Firstly, to help businesses understand their current state of transformation, STB will be launching the Tourism Transformation Index in 2Q2020. It is a self-diagnostic tool for companies to assess their strengths, identify areas of opportunity and provide recommendations on next steps to take in their digital transformation journey. Companies can indicate their interest to participate at go.gov.sg/interest4txi.
Secondly, STB will open the Three House, a dedicated innovation space located on STB’s premises for companies to collaborate and test new ideas and solutions. More details will be announced at a later date.
Lastly, STB has created a suite of smart services that allow businesses to tap shared data and content to drive innovation and guide their business decisions.
This includes the Singapore Tourism Analytics Network, or Stan, which is being made available to the industry for the first time. Through Stan, industry stakeholders can access updated tourism statistics, and exchange data, to plan for recovery. More information can be found at stan.stb.gov.sg/portal.
Furthermore, to help affected businesses rethink their strategies and prepare for recovery, STB Marketing College – a learning and development programme tailored for travel and tourism marketers – has partnered key digital players such as Facebook, Google and LinkedIn to develop web-based training for the tourism industry.
Facebook Singapore, for example, has produced a webinar series that targets businesses in the travel, hospitality, retail, and corporate sectors. In this series, experts will share business insights and best practices to engage customers and help businesses adapt during these challenging times. The first episode will be streamed on April 30, 2020. To register for the free sessions, visit digitalupskillingsg.splashthat.com.
STB is also supporting Google and UOB in their redesign of the SME Leadership Academy programme to focus on SMEs in retail and tourism. The online programme will cover topics including digital marketing, online collaboration tools to support remote working and overseas market expansion efforts. More information can be found at leadershipacademy.withgoogle.com.
In addition, STB will partner LinkedIn to develop another online training programme, with more details to be announced at a later date.
As well, STB will be rolling out additional assistance for travel agents, who have seen a significant drop in the volume of sales and bookings since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.
In order to free up cash flow during this period, STB has reviewed the legislative framework to identify areas where the cost of regulatory compliance could be reduced, following careful assessment that the risk to consumers is significantly lower during this period.
As such, the minimum financial requirement for travel agents will be reduced by 90 per cent from April 8, 2020 to December 31, 2020. All travel agents may also submit auditor-certified accounts in lieu of audited statement of accounts for the financial year ending on or after March 1, 2020.
STB CEO Keith Tan said: “The Government has set aside more than S$60 billion to help businesses and Singaporeans through Covid-19, and STB’s additional measures aim to complement that. This is the toughest period that Singapore tourism has ever faced, but we will stand together with the industry to get through this, and prepare for the eventual recovery.”
The Summer Olympics’ performance gains for Tokyo hotels are projected to be lower now that the sporting event has been pushed back by a year, according to the latest data from STR and Tourism Economics.
“We are projecting less overall demand when compared with our initial forecast for 2020, and while double-digit RevPAR growth is expected, it will come from a much lower base,” said Robin Rossmann, STR’s managing director.
Tokyo hotels projected to post lower gains from Olympics delay
“Lower absolute demand levels would be linked with traveller perception based on the timeline of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as financial challenges of a potential global recession. The still high level of demand combined with ADR growth should drive RevPAR upward, similar to the growth percentage we saw during last year’s Rugby World Cup in the market.”
Tokyo is expected to see double-digit increases in RevPAR in both July 2021 (+22.1 per cent to 16,968 yen; US$160) and August 2021 (+27.2 per cent to 17,995 yen).
While growth levels are similar to the previous forecast, absolute levels will be much lower. Additionally, as a result of the event date change, the same months in 2020 are forecasted for double-digit RevPAR declines.
The Indonesian government has temporarily suspended all commercial and chartered flights, following the decision to ban people from travelling to their hometowns during the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, in a bid to curb further spread of the coronavirus.
The ban will take effect from April 24 to June 1, and might be extended depending on the situation, said Novie Riyanto, director general of air transportation, Ministry of Transportation, at a press conference on Thursday.
Indonesia bans passengers flights to stop Ramadan exodus; airport terminal in Jakarta pictured
However, Novie said that airports and navigation space remain open for five exceptions, including flights for leaders of state institutions and state guests, representatives of international organisations, repatriation of Indonesian citizens and foreigners, law enforcement operations, cargo or passenger planes used to transport necessary goods such as medical and food supplies, and other flight operations that support Covid-19 containment efforts.
Under the new regulation, Novie said that airlines would be mandated to give full refunds to passengers, in cash or voucher. For the latter, the voucher must be valid for at least one year with a one-time extension.
The government has also suspended inter-city transport by train and buses during this period.
Malaysia’s nationwide movement control order (MCO) has been extended once again by another two weeks, until May 12, with the possibility of a further extension, announced prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a televised broadcast on April 23.
This marks the third extension of the MCO, which kicked in on March 18 to stem the spread of Covid-19.
Malaysia extends movement curbs for a third time till May 12; members of the public lining up to do a Covid-19 mass test in Kuala Lumpur pictured
The prime minister said that that if the number of new infections continue to slow, the government will consider relaxing the MCO regulations in stages to allow more sectors to operate, subject to strict conditions.
On April 23, the country’s health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said border control measures had reduced the number of imported Covid-19 cases and should be further continued.
In light of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in more than 180 countries, he said: “Lifting the MCO does not mean we will lift border controls. In fact, we need to strengthen it further.”
The number of Covid-19 cases in Malaysia as of March 23 totalled 5,603, of which 3,542 had recovered, and the death toll is 95.
Avani Hotels & Resorts has made five appointments for several of its hotels located in Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives.
Farah Jaber has been named cluster general manager of the two Thailand properties – Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort and Avani+ Koh Lanta Resort (the latter is scheduled to open by end-2020).
From left: Farah C Jaber; Stephan Moonen; and Karun Cornell
Jaber started his career with Minor Hotels in 2013 as an executive assistant manager at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas. In 2016, he was promoted to resident manager of Anantara Sathorn Bangkok Hotel and Oaks Bangkok Sathorn before moving to Vietnam as general manager of Anantara Mui Ne Resort in 2017. More recently, he spearheaded the successful opening of Anantara Quy Nhon Villas as cluster general manager along with Avani Quy Nhon Resort also under his leadership.
As well, Stephan Moonen and Karun Cornell have been appointed Avani+ Khao Lak Resort general manager and director of sales & marketing, respectively. The resort is also scheduled to open later this year.
Moonen boasts 15 years’ experience within the hospitality industry, where he first started out as an assistant hotel manager in a luxury hotel before joining Intercontinental Hotels Group. In 2011, he joined Marriott International in the UK, and undertook senior leadership roles at the Edinburgh Marriott and the Residence Inn Edinburgh, and The London Marriott Hotel and Executive Apartments Canary Wharf. His most recent role was general manager at the London Marriott Park Lane.
Meanwhile, Cornell brings more than 10 years of hospitality experience to the resort. He started his career with Bandara Hotels & Resorts, before joining Fair House Group in Koh Samui as a group director of sales & marketing.
From left: Marlon Abeyakoon and I Made Subrata
Over in the Maldives, Marlon Abeyakoon has been appointed general manager of the 200-key Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort that will open in 2021.
Abeyakoon has spent almost two decades in hospitality with multiple international hotel brands in UAE, the UK, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Fiji. He started his career with One&Only in Dubai in 1999 before moving to the UK with GLH Hotels and Hilton in 2013 as hotel manager at DoubleTree London. In 2018, he moved to Sri Lanka to helm Reethi Beach Resort as general manager. Prior to joining Avani+, he was general manager of the Sheraton Fiji Resort.
Lastly in Indonesia, I Made Subrata has been named general manager of Avani Seminyak Bali Resort, which is scheduled to be rebranded this year.
Made began his career in hospitality on his home-island Bali as the pre-opening team of InterContinental in 1993. In 2004, he joined Conrad Bali as guest activities manager and worked his way up to rooms division manager. He then moved to Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort as executive assistant manager, before joining The Elysian Boutique Villa Hotel as resort manager.
The Muslim travel market is growing, with CrescentRating – the world’s leading source of intelligence on Muslim travel – projecting 158 million Muslim travellers by this year, up from 25 million in 2000; and US$300 billion in travel spend by 2026.
And serviced residences in Asia are eager to get a slice of that pie. Some of the savvier chains, having foreseen the potential of this market, had taken steps years ago to improve their product offerings to address the accommodation needs of Muslim travellers.
Guus Bakker
According to CrescentRating’s Muslim Traveller Faith-based Service Needs 2.0 model, must-haves for Muslim travellers include halal food, prayer facilities, water-friendly washrooms and the absence of Islamophobia.
In CrescentRating’s research in 2019, Muslim survey participants said accommodation operators and airports must provide these essential faith-based services.
Far East Hospitality (FEH), which has a portfolio of nine serviced residences in Asia-Pacific – eight in Singapore and one in Kuala Lumpur, has implemented changes to better cater to Muslim travellers. Its efforts, according to CEO Arthur Kiong, included installing bidets in guestrooms, providing halal breakfast options, and training staff to be familiar with the selection of halal restaurants and mosques in the area around the property as well as important information Muslim guests would seek during the fasting month.
Said Kiong: “We also have team members on duty who are fluent in Bahasa Melayu, and depending on the demand for it, we are open to sending our employees for language courses in Arabic as well.”
FEH’s efforts are paying off, with an overall 12 per cent year-on-year incremental growth in room nights from the Muslim travel markets.
“While the majority of our Muslim guests are from neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, we are noticing more check-ins from countries in South Asia and the Middle East,” shared Kiong.
Oakwood Asia Pacific, which recorded a “healthy growth” of 13.4 per cent in Muslim guests at its properties in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan between 2018 and 2019, had also geared up early to court the promising market.
Dean Schreiber, interim CEO, Oakwood and managing director, Oakwood Asia Pacific, shared that property enhancements have included Muslim-friendly facilities such as washlet toilet seats in public and guestroom toilets, and individual prayer rooms for male and female conference guests with attached ablution facilities.
“We provide halal menu options in our restaurants, and some of our properties, such as Oakwood Hotel & Residence Sri Racha (in Thailand), are halal certified,” he added.
Guus Bakker, CEO EMEA of Frasers Hospitality, takes pride in his properties being Muslim-ready. “At our properties, we ensure staff are able to advise on our halal certifications as well as halal menu offerings. Additionally, properties that see a higher number of Muslim guests have bilingual staff who are able to attend to guests both in English and their native language,” he explained.
Attention is paid to feeding Muslim guests well, something that Frasers properties achieve by “making significant adjustments in our breakfast offerings, restaurant and in-room dining menus to meet the changing preferences of our regional guests”.
In love with space and accessibility Presently, regional serviced residences are welcoming mostly holidaying families with a preference for larger spaces, young couples on their honeymoon, and corporate travellers desiring a home away from home.
Bakker said easy access to halal food, affordable luxury goods shopping and entertainment options for families and kids alike ranks high among his Muslim guests. As such, Frasers properties in Asia-Pacific, which are conveniently placed near halal restaurants as well as grocery shops, have been winners in the books of these travellers.
For FEH properties that are located close to hospitals and medical facilities, a market niche has emerged – Muslim medical tourists.
In these properties, such as Orchard Scotts Residences, Orchard Parksuites and Regency House – all in Singapore, facilities such as accessible rooms and wheelchairs are available for loan.
“As the recovery and rehabilitation process differs between individuals, our serviced residences offer the flexibility for guests to extend their stay on a weekly basis,” said Kiong.
Changing profiles
Schreiber observed that his Muslim guests are getting younger and new travel patterns have emerged.
“Instead of travelling with their family or a small group, we are seeing more Muslim millennials travelling with friends as well as solo travellers for leisure and business purposes,” he said.
“The shift in travel patterns may be caused by a change in objectives of travel experiences. More Muslim guests are willing to explore non-Muslim countries such as South Korea, Thailand and Japan due to the influence of pop culture, for example, to catch a K-pop concert or visit attractions and restaurants featured in a popular drama or movie,” he added.
Schreiber also expects to welcome more young female Muslim travellers over the next few years, a projection that Bakker shares.
Bakker also foresees that the Muslim family travel market will continue to expand and drive demand for larger residences to accommodate all members.
Meanwhile, Kiong believes that Singapore Tourism Board’s new efforts to appeal to Muslim travellers through a partnership with Have Halal Will Travel booking platform, as well as the production of educational travel guides and materials targeting Muslim travellers around Asia in collaboration with CrescentRating, will result in more leisure travellers, especially millennials and families, over the next few years.
“With Singapore’s strengthened economic relations with the Middle East, we also foresee a possible increase in business travellers staying with us when they are here on business trips or for conventions,” Kiong added.
Mark these properties
From left: Fraser Residence Orchard, Singapore; Oakwood Hotel & Residence Sri Racha; Orchard Scotts Residences
Fraser Residence Orchard, Singapore offers fully-furnished and luxurious units that are equipped with high-end appliances and modern conveniences. With the world’s top brands and an array of halal eateries at the doorstep, long-stay guests with young children can be reassured of the convenience and accessibility the property has to offer. Chefs can also prepare meals upon request, perfect for residents with dietary requirements.
Oakwood Hotel & Residence Sri Racha in Thailand boasts magnificent panoramic views of the Gulf of Siam. It offers 458 rooms and apartments with modern hotel amenities that are perfect for leisure and corporate travellers. An array of services, from personalised check-ins to private dining, as well as facilities such as children’s play area, karaoke room, golf driving practice room and library will appeal to families as well. In addition to TrEat Restaurant, a halal-certified restaurant, there are also six function rooms for business meetings and social gatherings.
Orchard Scotts Residences is an award-winning property that is situated in Singapore’s famed Orchard belt, placing guests in easy reach of the finest shopping, halal dining and entertainment options. The nearest mosque is located 10 minutes away on foot. Despite being at the doorstep of the city centre, the property is a sanctuary with 2.5 hectares of sculpted gardens. Guests can choose from one-bedroom apartments to a plush four-bedroom penthouse.
