Taiwan embarks on major promo push to woo more Indonesian tourists

October 4, 2019

Recognising the growth potential of Indonesia as a visitor source market, the Taiwanese government is teaming up with travel agents and airlines to build up destination awareness in the country.

At the recent Kompas Travel Fair in Jakarta, John Chen, head of Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, revealed that the number of Indonesian visitors in Taiwan increased by 11 per cent to 210,000 in 2018, a promising figure that he sees with room for growth still.

Taiwan is stepping up promotional efforts to attract more Indonesian tourists (Pictured: Heping Island at Keelung City in Taiwan)

Chen targets Indonesian inbound numbers to increase by 15 per cent this year, on the back of a special visa service eligible to Indonesians who have visited certain countries such as Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, the US, Canada and the UK in the last 10 years.

Acknowledging that many Indonesians are still unfamiliar with Taiwan, Chen said that he would step up promotional efforts of Taiwan in Indonesia.

Already, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) has set up the Taiwan Tourism Information Centre in Indonesia this July.

“We think that Indonesia is an aggressive, promising market, and we want to develop it more,” said TTB’s director Fanny Low.

TTB has recorded a nine per cent increase in the number of Indonesian travellers to Taiwan in the first half of this year, said Low. According to her, a total of 210,000 Indonesians visited Taiwan in 2018, but only around 53,000 were tourists as the majority were made up of workers and students living there.

Nearly 60 per cent of those Indonesian travellers visited Taiwan for business, and the remaining 40 per cent for leisure, Low shared, adding that “because there was no office in Jakarta (previously) that promotes leisure, most of the tourists were contributed by MICE”.

With the launch of the Taiwan Tourism Information Centre, Low expects a 12 per cent increase in the number of inbound leisure tourist arrivals from Indonesia to Taiwan this year.

Meanwhile, Taiwan has already taken incremental steps towards building a Muslim-friendly environment and was ranked by Mastercard-CrescentRating as third most Muslim-friendly travel destination among non-OIC destinations in 2019.

Not only are halal-certified food and facilities easily accessible, small mosques are also available in public facilities like the airports and train stations, said Chan.

Indonesian Muslims can also use the Halal.TW app to locate halal destinations, hotels and restaurants in Taiwan. The app, which is also available in Indonesian, can be downloaded for free in the Google Play Store and the App Store.

To attract more Indonesian tourists to Taiwan, the Taiwan Tourism Information Centre has already formed partnerships with major travel companies and airlines, such as China Airlines, Eva Air, Thai Airways and Royal Brunei Airlines, to roll out travel packages with promotional fares.

China Airlines’ sales manager Alwin Heodinata foresees that traffic between the two countries will continue to grow, as currently at least 80 per cent of seats on the Indonesia-Taiwan route is always occupied.

To accommodate the projected increased passenger traffic on this sector, Eva Air will replace Airbus A330-300 with a bigger aircraft, Boeing 777-300 ER, by October 15, according to its general manager Makmun Hamsa.

Indonesia-based ICT Tour’s ticketing manager Suandi said that the number of customers who bought its 4D3N tour package to Taiwan had increased by 20 per cent, thanks to direct connectivity and free visa policy.

He said that 90 per cent of his Indonesian clients travel to Taiwan for leisure, with a sprinkling of MICE visitors.

Suandi hopes that the Taiwanese government will step up promotional efforts in Indonesia as the fact that many Indonesians were not well-acquainted with Taiwan was a major challenge for him when selling Taiwan tour packages.

Trafalgar chief urges travel agents to prove their value in experience economy

By Pamela Chow

October 4, 2019

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The collapse of travel giant Thomas Cook and the uncertain future of cash-strapped Cox & Kings have prompted travel companies to cast a keener eye on product and service quality, as their role in facilitating the delivery of memorable experiences that travellers crave for comes under greater scrutiny.

Trafalgar’s global CEO Gavin Tollman told TTG Asia: “Particularly in Asia, I want our agent partners to be aware of the importance that agents can play in the buying cycle. They have to do their homework and know (their customers). (Seeing) what happened with Thomas Cook and Cox & Kings, travel agents have to understand the importance of trust.”

Travel agents need to rethink experience quality for consumers: Tollman

According to Google Analytics, 49 per cent of a traveller’s online touchpoints in the four months prior to making a travel booking is spent on OTA sites, signalling the importance of OTAs in travel buying.

However, not all agencies are taking advantage of this position or delivering the full potential of a destination to travellers. A survey by The Source Research found that 89 per cent of people still find travel difficult to plan, with 49 per cent saying that experiences marketed as authentic were not genuine.

Tollman explained: “Experiences are becoming the norm, yet far too many of our agent partners are just selling based on price. They have to understand that customers would rather buy an experience for a great price, rather than have a great price without an experience. Agents need to understand the importance of a destination and adjust their thinking around it.”

He added that doing so also involves responsible travel that minimises the negative impacts on a destination and its local communities “to prevent another Boracay from happening again”.

Responsible travel is now becoming the next experience that travellers are searching for. According to an Expedia study, sentiment is growing amongst consumers that it is the travel company’s responsibility to be environmentally accountable, and 40 per cent of consumers believe that holidays should have an environmental and social rating.

In its latest green efforts, The Travel Corporation (TTC) has pushed out its new Make Travel Matter Pledge, in celebration of World Tourism Day. Guided by The TreadRight Foundation, a joint initiative between TTC brands, including Trafalgar, the pledge cemented the company’s commitment to sustainable tourism and conscious travel.

Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart to step down; Harry Sommer named as successor

By TTG Asia

October 4, 2019

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Norwegian Cruise Line president and CEO Andy Stuart, an industry veteran with 31 years at the company, will step down at the end of this year following the launch of Norwegian Encore.

Harry Sommer, current president, international for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH), has been named as successor to Stuart, who will remain with the company as senior advisor through March 31, 2020 to ensure a smooth transition, said the cruise line.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s CEO Andy Stuart (left) will be succeeded by Harry Sommer when he steps down year-end

Stuart joined Norwegian in 1988 and held several key executive positions during his tenure of more than three decades, including president and COO; executive vice president, global sales and passenger services; executive vice president and chief product officer and executive vice president of marketing, sales and passenger services.

“Andy has accomplished everything possible in the cruise industry, including leading its most storied and innovative brand. He will leave on a high note after delivering the brand’s latest ship, Norwegian Encore, the last ship in the most successful ship class in the company’s history,” said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of NCLH. “We are extremely grateful for his leadership and contributions to Norwegian Cruise Line, our company and the cruise industry.”

Stuart is said to be instrumental in many of the cruise line’s key achievements including the introduction of the Freestyle Cruising offering, which gives guests the choice to dine at whatever time they chose in a variety of dining venues and frees them from the then-industry norm of traditional set dining times in a single venue.

Sommer, in his current role as president, international for NCLH, is responsible for all sales, marketing, public relations and office operations for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises in all markets outside of the US and Canada.

He previously served as executive vice president, international business development and executive vice president and chief integration officer for NCLH and held various executive positions for Prestige Cruise Holdings including chief marketing officer; senior vice president, finance and chief information officer and chief accounting officer.

Onyx signs first hotel in Japan

By TTG Asia

October 4, 2019

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Thailand-based Onyx Hospitality Group has signed a management agreement with Hong Kong-based investment firm Metropoly Holdings to open its first hotel in Japan, Amari Niseko.

Scheduled to open in 2024, Amari Niseko will form a central part of the Aruku-zaka Street mixed-use development, which will be home to a selection of lifestyle, retail and F&B offerings, residential apartments and the all-new Amari resort.

Onyx’s first hotel in Japan, Amari Niseko, is slated to open in 2024

Located in central Hirafu, in the Kutchan town of Abuta-gun district just off Route 343, Amari Niseko and Aruku-zaka Street will be easily reached via a two-hour drive or train journey from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo.

A year-round resort and a base for skiing in winter, and hiking and biking in the greener months, the 126-key Amari Niseko will offer a variety of studio, one-bedroom suite and two-bedroom suite configurations.

The resort will also offer a concept restaurant that transitions from an all-day restaurant to a destination cocktail bar come nightfall.

Onyx says that the last three years have been significant for the regional expansion of Amari, with the brand being launched in multiple new locations, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China and Laos.

A collaborative approach to break wasteful practices in hospitality

By TTG Asia

October 4, 2019

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LightBlue Environmental Consulting (LBEC) and Travel Without Plastic (TWP) are joining forces to tackle the two single biggest waste streams in hotels – food waste and single-use plastic.

Led by long-term sustainability professionals, both organisations originally set out with wider objectives in mind but narrowed down their focus to specific problem areas, and now wants to offer their services to hotels looking to tackle two of this decade’s increasingly important topics.

LightBlue Environmental Consulting and Travel Without Plastic have teamed up to tackle food waste and single-use plastic in hotels

Roughly one third of the food produced in the world, which is equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes, for human consumption is wasted and around 300 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is for single-use.

Aware that solving one problem should not cause another, both organisations champion a reduction in overall waste and their respective recommendations to businesses ensure that the wider picture is considered before any operational changes are made.

Habit is the biggest challenge for both organisations, compounded by today’s hectic on-the-go lifestyles. Hotels where guests would normally sit down for breakfast now offer to-go cafes, fuelled by single-use packaging that caters for city breakers and business clients who are rushing out to the office.

Over the past six years, LBEC has consistently measured that up to 50 per cent of all food purchased in volume never makes it to the buffet or the restaurant table. “Pre-consumer food waste is composed of roughly 40 per cent of non-edible items, and the remainder is related to inefficient storage systems, unskilled trimming, overstocking or over production. Kitchen waste is generally given less attention when discussing food waste, while buffet waste is commonly mistaken as the biggest source of food waste”, said Benjamin Lephilibert, managing director of LightBlue.

Similarly, TWP sees that an average of 15 per cent of single-use plastic is often purchased purely out of habit, with no regard for whether the product adds any value to the guest experience. Where hotels are invested in positive change, up to 68 per cent of single-use plastic waste can be reduced by following effective recommendations and implementing innovative communications that encourage guests to be part of the solution.

Needless to say, both approaches can create significant cost savings. When environmental concerns are not the main motivator, the bottom line usually triggers action.

Both businesses operate globally and can offer on-site and off-site support to hotels and other hospitality businesses interested in being part of the solution. The ideal next step would be to engage a number of hotels in Asia and Europe who are happy to lead by example and introduce a multi-tasking approach to both waste streams, potentially generating huge savings in terms of waste reduction and costs, both companies said in a joint statement.

Interested parties are encouraged to contact LightBlue Environmental Consulting at contact@lightblueconsulting.com or Travel Without Plastic at info@travelwithoutplastic.com.

New hotels: The Adnate, Andaz Seoul Gangnam, and more

By TTG Asia

October 4, 2019

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The Adnate, Australia
The latest Art Series hotel, belonging to the Accor family, has opened in Perth and features Australian street artist Matt Adnate’s works. Two original canvases and up to 650 reproductions of 30 of Matt’s most recognised works from around the world adorn the walls and halls of the 250-room, 27-storey hotel.

The Adnate will also be home to a restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine and cocktails, where the venue will be centred around the hotel’s pool area on level one. Other facilities include a gym and function room, as well as smart cars and bicycle for hire.

Andaz Seoul Gangnam, South Korea
Hyatt’s Andaz brand has marked its entry into the destination with this property. The hotel houses 241 guestrooms, all offering a bird’s-eye view of downtown through floor-to-ceiling windows. Facilities on-site include the all-day cafe A’+Z; Jogakbo, a space which meshes three F&B venues in one; and The Summer House, a wellness facility with a 16m-long pool surrounded by a whirlpool, and cold and warm baths.

Functions can be held in the four flexible event spaces, which can cater to groups of up to 250 people, or the 163m² Gangnam Penthouse Suite boasting its own entertainment terrace, bar and dining area that can accommodate up to 20 people, a TV den and a luxury bathroom.

The property’s overall concept has been inspired by bojagi – a traditional Korean wrapping cloth used in significant ceremonies and as gift wrap to preserve good luck, according to traditional Korean folklore.

Four Points by Sheraton Bali Ungasan, Indonesia
This property features 270 rooms and suites, where some rooms come with private balconies, private terraces, garden or pool access. Elsewhere on property is Evolution, the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, where guests can find local and international favourites; while The Garden Pool Bar serves local craft beers on tap. Other facilities include an infinity pool, a fitness centre, a spa, wedding chapel, and a family pool and kids’ club. There is also 1,694m² of flexible indoor meeting space, the largest of which is a pillarless ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,200.

Radisson Blu Hangzhou Xintiandi, China
The first Radisson in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province, features 265 rooms and suites equipped with multimedia connectivity. For Club and Suite guests, the top floor Executive Lounge provides a range of bespoke business services and all-day refreshments. The 18-storey hotel also offers facilities such as a 450-pax grand ballroom, four function rooms, an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, and Thai-style spa. The hotel is home to several F&B outlets, including a Chinese restaurant with nine private dining rooms.

Hotel Gracery Osaka Namba, Japan
This 170-key property situated in the Namba area lies within walking distance to Osaka hotspots Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi. Guestrooms start from 18m², and feature separate toilets and bathrooms. Other facilities in the hotel include the Bonsalute restaurant, and a self-service cloak room.

Asian Trails marks 20 years of operations

By TTG Asia

October 4, 2019

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Asian_Trails_-_Complete_Management_Team_20th_Anniversary — Asian Trails' complete management team, comprising (from left) Thomas Carnevale, Marcel Grifoll, Xiaolin Zhang, Emir Cherif, Virginie Kury, Luzi Matzig, Laurent Kuenzle, Laetitia Law-Lai, Thuy Tien, Stefan Bruns and Bjorn Schimanski, at the DMC's 20th anniversary big bash

Asian Trails recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a company party at a leading resort in Hua Hin, marking the auspicious date of 9.9.99 (September 9, 1999) when the Bangkok-based DMC was born.

Luzi Matzig, today’s chairman, together with CEO Laurent Kuenzle co-founded Asian Trails, which today has expanded into 10 destinations and eight regional offices across Asia.

Asian Trails celebrates 20th anniversary

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In a blog entry on the company website entitled “20 years of ‘blazing new paths in travel'”, Kuenzle stressed that “people” remains central to what Asian Trails does. Of the almost 700 staff the company now has, some 10 per cent have been with the company since the very beginning and more than 50 per cent for over five years, he revealed.

“I still see myself as bridging people, as my love and understanding of Asia help me in putting the right people together to achieve amazing results. It is not just about monetary returns – this must be a given or we wouldn’t be here today – but it’s also about the trust, respect and understanding that my team and I have cultivated in our organisation and in all who interact with Asian Trails,” he wrote.

Digital Travel APAC 2020 tackles the biggest movement in the travel industry

By TTG

October 3, 2019

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Much like the rapid growth seen in Apparel and Consumer Electronics, eCommerce is quickly shaking up the travel industry.

As the recent collapse of Thomas Cook, a huge global travel group operating for 178 years has shown us, rethinking marketing and business models for travel businesses should no longer be a distant priority.

Hailing from Asia’s top travel businesses, eCommerce, Digital Marketing and Customer Experience leaders are coming together at Digital Travel APAC 2020 to share their views on this emerging demographic of travellers.

Returning again for the 5^th year, Digital Travel APAC will be held from 20 – 22 April, 2020, at the Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. Growing from year to year, the event is an exclusive gathering of the world’s most innovative and disruptive travel companies. The best place to be for travel professionals to learn, network and have fun all at the same time.

Leveraging the increasingly tech savvy travellers of today, forward-looking travel businesses are already changing their strategy when interacting with their customers.

Multi-device, mobile messaging platforms (WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, etc), are one of the ways that many are using to reshape the customer experience.

From pre-sale enquires to flight reminders and chat assistance during their trip, agencies remain connected and contactable to their customers, bringing a level of assurance for increased satisfaction and service excellence.

68 percent of all passengers will be digital travellers by 2025

The report by SITA, 2025: Air Travel for a Digital Age, shows that by 2025, 68% of all passengers will be digital travellers and will expect to manage their travel in much the same way they do every other aspect of their daily lives – using their mobile phones.

Digital Travel APAC will further explore the industry drivers of tomorrow’s travel business in a focused, interactive 2½ day conference. Key topics of discussions include:

Perfecting Personalisation – How to deliver a single view of the customer and real-time data access to deliver a hyper-personalised experience
Data-driven personalization – What are the people, process and technology requirements for rolling out a practical strategy that delivers on your customers’ individual needs from the get go?
How to understand customer needs to deliver personalised travel solutions in multiple markets

Led by a growing advisory board:

Cheryl Goh, Group VP of Marketing, Grab
Jerome Thil, VP of Digital Innovation, Singapore Airlines
Ronald Dalderup, VP of Innovation, Shangri-La
Nandor Locher, Head of Digital Direct, Qantas
Akira Mitsumasu, VP of Global Marketing, Japan Airlines
Andrew Cefai, Senior Director, Marketing & eCommerce APAC, Hilton
Piotr Jakubowski, ex-CMO, GO-JEK
Vikas Bhola, Regional Director, South Asia Pacific, com

2020 will also see the travel event hold new formats for deeper engagement and discussions:

“How to” roundtables, a highly interactive small group format that allows you to choose the topic that matters to you most while enjoying a glass of champagne.
Country Clinics, deep diving into upcoming markets like Vietnam, India, Indonesia, China
Shark Tank, Identifying “The Next Best Thing” in travel tech

Digital Travel APAC is known for its unique session format, with dedicated tracks for key topics held in smaller, intimate groups.

Get the complete overview of topics and sessions: https://bit.ly/2olrG8x

P.S. Loyal readers of TTG, have a 20% discount on us! Simply quote ‘DTA20_TTG’ on checkout or email to sgwbrinfo@wbresearch.com

TripAdvisor bans sales to attractions that breed captive whales and dolphins

By TTG Asia

October 3, 2019

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TripAdvisor will no longer sell tickets to, or generate revenue from, any attraction that continues to contribute to the captivity of future generations of cetaceans, referring to whales, dolphins and porpoises.

As a result, any commercial facility that breeds or imports cetaceans for public display will be banned from sale on TripAdvisor and its subsidiary Viator.

TripAdvisor’s new policy that bans ticket sales to sites that breed or import captive whales and dolphins will affect major attractions like SeaWorld parks (Pictured: Killer whale performing at Sea World in San Diego, California)

Products currently on sale and found to breach the new rules will be removed over the next few months, with the policy coming into full force by end-2019. The new policy will not apply to seaside sanctuaries that provide care to cetaceans already in captivity.

A seaside sanctuary environment is defined as a natural body of coastal water, such as a bay or a cove, that houses cetaceans in as close to a natural environment as possible while providing protection and oversight from qualified husbandry and veterinary staff, according to TripAdvisor.

Seaside sanctuaries must adhere to a strict no-breeding policy, must not train their animals to perform in any shows or performances for public display, and must prohibit all forms of physical interaction between guests and the animals, including any in-water guest experiences.

The decision follows an extensive consultation process with a range of experts, including marine biologists, zoologists and conservationists, and considered the scientific evidence and arguments presented from all sides. It continues TripAdvisor’s commitment to improving the welfare of animals globally, particularly animals in tourism.

“The extensive evidence presented to us by the experts was compelling. Whales and dolphins do not thrive in limited captive environments, and we hope to see a future where they live as they should – free and in the wild,” said Dermot Halpin, president, TripAdvisor experiences and rentals.

He added: “We believe the current generation of whales and dolphins in captivity should be the last, and we look forward to seeing this position adopted more widely throughout the travel industry.”

Conservation groups and animal welfare experts welcomed the move as an important step forward.

Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with Animal Welfare Institute, said: “TripAdvisor is on the right side of history. Whales and dolphins cannot thrive in captivity and enlightened tourists no longer tolerate exploiting these intelligent and socially complex marine predators for human entertainment.”

Nick Stewart, global head of wildlife, dolphins, World Animal Protection, agreed: “This sends a clear message to other travel companies that we must end this cruel industry once and for all. Together, we can ensure this is the last generation of dolphins held captive for entertainment.”

TripAdvisor’s policy extension also takes into account that while it is possible to prevent future generations of cetaceans from a life of captivity, the situation is different for those already in captivity. For most of the current population of cetaceans, releasing them into the wild is not a realistic option. Thus, the policy also includes several stipulations aimed at protecting the needs, safety and health of cetaceans currently in captivity.

Halpin stressed: “Our aim is not only to prevent future generations of whales and dolphins from being raised in captivity, but also to encourage the industry to move towards alternative models, like seaside sanctuaries, that will better provide for the needs of the current captive population.

“Seaside sanctuaries have enormous potential, but they need more backing from the tourism industry. As long as facilities with captive whales and dolphins continue to profit from keeping these animals in smaller, cheaper and less natural living environments, then they don’t have enough incentive to adopt serious change,” he said, adding that the company hopes their latest move will help “turn the tide”.

TripAdvisor says its decision to cease selling tickets to sites that breed whales and dolphins represents the latest extension of the travel booking platform’s animal welfare policy, which first launched in 2016.

The policy already commits TripAdvisor and Viator to no longer sell tickets to experiences where travellers come into physical contact with captive wild animals, such as elephant rides and tiger petting experiences. It was further enhanced in 2018, at which point TripAdvisor also banned demeaning animal shows and performances from sale.

Rugby World Cup scores tourism win for Japan

By TTG Asia

October 3, 2019

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The Rugby World Cup (RWC) has fuelled a tourism boom from the competing nations, according to a study by ForwardKeys.

During the period from September 12 to November 6, which covers the tournament dates and several days before and after, flight bookings to Japan from the competing nations are currently 38.1 per cent ahead as compared to the same period last year, the study found. The highest peak is on the day before the opening ceremony, with bookings from the competing nations more than double those on the equivalent date in 2018.

Rugby World Cup has fuelled a tourism boom from the competing nations: ForwardKeys

Olivier Ponti, vice president insights, ForwardKeys, said: “When we analyse these visitors in more depth, we see that their average length of stay is 11.7 nights. That tells us that few people are coming to watch a specific game and then returning home; the majority are making a holiday of their visit.”

The RWC tourism boost is most strongly illustrated by visits from Ireland, which is not a mainstream tourism market for Japan and has no direct flight connections, according to the study.

Bookings for the period beginning September 12 to November 6 are currently 500.3 per cent ahead of where they were at this time last year. The average length of stay is 12.7 nights, which indicates that Irish visitors, having made the journey – the minimum flight time from Dublin to Tokyo is 13.5 hours – are also staying for a holiday in Japan.

There are very clear booking spikes around the dates when the Irish are playing their matches, which also happen to be the weekends.

Ponti said: “What intrigues me most is that the highest peak in bookings coincides with the quarter-finals. I’m tempted to suggest that Irish fans are confident of their team reaching that far but not necessarily any further. However, as Ireland is the world’s second ranked team, I suspect other factors are at play, such as the very limited availability of tickets for the semi-finals and final, and a strong preference of Irish rugby fans to take a two-week holiday.”

Taiwan embarks on major promo push to woo more Indonesian tourists

Trafalgar chief urges travel agents to prove their value in experience economy

Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Andy Stuart to step down; Harry Sommer named as successor

Onyx signs first hotel in Japan

A collaborative approach to break wasteful practices in hospitality

New hotels: The Adnate, Andaz Seoul Gangnam, and more

Asian Trails marks 20 years of operations

Digital Travel APAC 2020 tackles the biggest movement in the travel industry

TripAdvisor bans sales to attractions that breed captive whales and dolphins

Rugby World Cup scores tourism win for Japan

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