Camino Women in Australia and Khiri Travel in Laos have come together to develop a new community-based trekking route in remote northern Laos, and this programme stands out for being crafted for female hikers and driving tourism benefits into the hands of local villagers.
The four-day trek, known as Soum-son Trail, is part of a 13-day/12-night journey through northern Laos, which includes a slow boat ride on the Mekong river, a train ride, visits to Buddhist caves and an elephant park, walks in paddy fields, meetings with various ethnic group villagers, and experiencing the UNESCO World Heritage township of Luang Prabang.
Local villages are trained to support the new Soum-son Trail trek
To prepare for this programme, 26 women and men from three remote mountain hamlets joined three days of training in Luang Prabang last December. The villagers learnt about community-based tourism, safety standards, housekeeping service, waste management, food preparation, and customer service. There were hands-on practical sessions, and training was conducted by four community tourism experts from the Lao government. Training was funded by both Camino Women and Khiri Travel’s charitable arm, Khiri Reach.
The aim is for community tourism to enhance the locals’ quality of life.
Camino Women and Khiri Travel will kick off the programme on February 16 with a group of six women from Australia.
Following this, the trek will be conducted for five groups, with each having no more than 12 female participants, throughout this year. For the next high season between November 2025 and February 2026, the agencies plan on leading two groups per month.
Each trip will be supported by the same local guide from the villages and Khiri Travel’s own highly experienced Laotian community guide.
The new year is upon us, and with every new beginning is another opportunity to learn from the past and do better. It is so for us as individuals as well as for organisations in the travel and tourism industry. ‘Do better’ ought to be the motto for travel and tourism professionals, especially as the industry is so dependent on the well-being of the environment and host communities.
For our Outlook 2025 issue, we look at how people are expected to consume travel this year. Based on travel data and consumer studies, leading travel and tourism organisations say travellers will be expanding their itineraries to less crowded hidden gems, savouring their holidays at a slower pace, embracing all-inclusive resort stays, and tracking down speciality local goods. These motivations underscore the desire for more meaningful trips that also support local communities.
For travellers who yearn for off-the-beaten-path experiences, whether to feed their desire to be first-movers or to avoid contributing to overtourism in hot locations, Asia-Pacific has plenty of gems waiting to be discovered. Tourism authorities in this region have been leading campaigns to direct attention to cities and countrysides that have only been known to locals or have been transforming brilliantly to offer a warmer welcome. Tourism Western Australia, for example, went all out in 2024 to promote areas beyond well-known Perth. Also encouraging is the news that UN Tourism’s Best Tourism Villages initiative has expanded in 2024 to include 55 new qualified rural destinations, of which 13 are in our region (plus two in the Middle East).
Getting to secondary and tertiary destinations is also becoming easier, as low-cost carriers in our region rebuild their network strongly and into unserved/underserved routes.
Driving travellers deeper into areas and communities that hunger for tourism dollars is a collaborative effort, requiring the foresight of destination leadership, creativity and determination of tour operators and travel advisors, and the support of all in the travel and tourism eco-system. My team will do our part too, by building more content to highlight emerging destinations.
Explore the untouched wilderness of the world with Silversea’s polar expeditions
Get ready to embark on immersive,personalised and luxurious expeditions to Antarctica with Silversea. Known as the White Continent, Antarctica has long captured the imaginations of explorers, from Ernest Shackleton to modern-day adventurers like Felicity Aston, Godmother of Silver Endeavour.
And Silversea’s ice-class expedition ships are optimised for discovery and designed to explore the world’s most extreme destinations safely and in style. With only 110 to 137 suites, Silversea’s small and intimate ships can sail into the heart of polar regions that are inaccessible to larger vessels. Offering all the comforts of a world class luxury cruise onboard, travellers can relax in spacious suites with private verandas, enjoy personalised butler service, and indulge in fine dining.
Equipped for polar exploration, Silversea’s ships allow travellers to fully explore the untamed beauty of this region. Venture into hidden, hard-to-reach locations by Zodiac boat or kayak to see mighty elephant seals and charismatic penguins, while hiking excursions take travellers to some of the hard-to-reach areas of Antarctica. Onboard, experts on the ships’ panoramic observation platforms provide engaging lectures for an informed insight into nature’s inhabitants. Each Silversea expedition comprises a uniquely skilled team of naturalists and eco-science specialists. With up to 28 qualified specialists on each expedition – among the highest personnel-to-guest ratios – they represent some of the industry’s most seasoned experts across various fields including biologists, ornithologists and geologists to professionals in history, ecology and photography.
Charting a new course to the White Continent
Pay a visit to Antarctica’s cute residents
Silversea’s Antarctica Bridge itinerary opens the door to this extraordinary frontier for a new generation of intrepid travellers – combining the spirit of exploration with unparalleled luxury and convenience.
Bypassing the infamous Drake Passage with a swift two-hour flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island, this pioneering approach eliminates the need for a traditional four-day sea crossing, allowing guests to arrive rested and ready to explore this awe-inspiring destination.
10- and 12-day Antarctic Peninsula
Depending on the voyage, travellers spend 10 to 12 days exploring the wondrous landscapes and incredible wildlife of the Antarctic Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. Go further to visit the Antarctic Sound and opt to head south of the Polar Circle to witness the true beauty, scale and power of this fascinating continent. In true expedition spirit, daily routes are determined by an Expedition Leader and Captain based on weather, ice, and wildlife.
18-day Antarctica and Beyond
Aboard world-class expedition ships, travellers will spend 18 extraordinary days exploring the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Sound, and remote Elephant Island. Witness massive King penguin colonies, mighty glaciers, and spectacular icebergs. This journey promises an exceptional experience for nature enthusiasts where they have the opportunity to encounter diverse wildlife, from seven types of penguins to seals, dolphins, and whales, as well as exploring remote and rare historic sights.
Silversea also offers 9- and 15-day Antarctica itineraries between Puerto Williams and King George Island launching in the 2026-2027 season. Combining a one-way Drake Passage voyage with a flight, it offers more full days in Antarctica to explore its pristine landscapes and diverse wildlife.
Go where few men have gone – the Antarctic
The southernmost hotel on earth
Silversea is developing a new 150-room hotel in Puerto Williams, Chile – the world’s southernmost city – that is set to open at the end of this year. The hotel will complement the innovative Antarctica Bridge fly-cruise programme, offering Silversea hospitality at every touchpoint, from accommodation to flight to the voyage. As the only cruise line that homeports in Puerto Williams during the Antarctica season, Silversea’s hotel will serve as a gateway to Antarctica.
Overlooking the Beagle Channel, the hotel offers views of the water and snow-capped Patagonian mountains. Inspired by local traditional art, architecture, and materials, its architecture is designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding environment.
Your polar adventure awaits
Step into a world untouched by time with Silversea’s polar expeditions. Whether it’s Antarctica’s icy silence or the Arctic’s luminous beauty, Silversea’s journeys promise unforgettable moments filled with discovery and luxury. Reserve your voyage today—and take a deeper look at the world at silversea.com.
Sabre’s research found that just 37 per cent of travel bookings include a hotel stay. What is the significance of this finding, and what is the impact on revenue opportunities? Let me give you a little more detail. We recently conducted a study with select agency customers to identify opportunities both online and offline, which revealed a combined hotel attachment rate (HAR) of only 37 per cent. Considering this also includes instances where the traveller themselves requested flights and hotel upfront, we’re left with an even lower rate of agents proactively offering a hotel to the traveller.
Our findings highlight a significant untapped revenue opportunity for travel agencies. In our study, we found that the potential revenue uplift from improving HAR is substantial and can range into millions of dollars depending on agency size.
According to the Global Business Travel Association, global business travel spending was projected to hit a record high of US$1.48 trillion in 2024 and to exceed US$2 trillion by 2028. By not attaching a hotel to relevant segments, agencies are leaving significant potential revenue on the table.
What do you think are the primary reasons for this gap, and are there other ways to quantify this missed opportunity that may not be as obvious? Many would be quick to say the gap or leakage is driven by the availability of hotel content. But it also stems, in large part, from traditional booking practices, where flights are prioritised, and lodging is more of an afterthought. We looked at the leakage of offline bookings from our study, for example (i.e. those made by phone or email) and found that the primary driver of low attachment was actually behavioural: agents simply not offering a hotel to the traveller when making a flight booking. Some agencies also lack the technology or data insights to measure HAR or offer personalised hotel recommendations at the time of booking.
Beyond missed revenue, this gap also represents a lack of adherence to travel programmes and a loss in traveller engagement and satisfaction. Travellers and buyers are increasingly looking for convenience, personalisation and duty of care. By failing to offer a complete experience, agencies risk losing travellers and buyers to other agencies that are better at this metric.
You say a mindset shift is needed for agents to think more like modern retailers. Why is this change important for the future of travel agencies, and what steps can they take to adopt this approach effectively? The modern traveller as well as the modern travel advisor expect tailored recommendations and seamless experiences, similar to those they receive in retail or entertainment. For agencies to stay competitive, they must adopt a retailing mindset – using data insights and the right travel content to craft personalised offers. Today’s travel advisors and travellers expect a consumer-grade shopping and booking experience for their travel needs, without which they might look for travel options on other platforms that meet these needs.
Many agencies are already on this journey, and we are making it easier by offering scalable, modular solutions that fit businesses of all sizes. It’s not about overhauling operations overnight; it’s about adopting the right tools and practices, step by step, to align with modern traveller and buyer expectations.
For travel companies looking to invest in AI, where do you see the greatest return on investment, and what strategies are proving most effective? There are significant efficiency, revenue uplift and personalisation opportunities throughout the travel ecosystem as a result of AI, which means travel companies that invest in AI are driving more cost efficiencies while improving buyer satisfaction. It really is a win-win-win.
There’s a return on investment for our hotelier partners – those who can get their content onto our Lodging AI platform, gaining greater visibility and enjoying higher booking rates as a result. There’s a win for our travel agency partners – those who get the content they need from over a million properties in our platform and can use real-time AI-powered solutions to compare, shop, book, and service that content effectively. Finally, there’s a win for the travellers – those who have greater ease during each booking touchpoint and get the personalised trip they want.
An internal Sabre study showed that agencies using Lodging AI saw a marked improvement in hotel bookings. By offering alternative lodging options when a client’s first choice wasn’t available, they were able to reduce abandoned bookings. In fact, when travellers clicked on AI-suggested alternatives, the likelihood of securing the booking jumped by nearly 14 per cent, and we continue to refine the learning model.
Lodging AI’s cross-sell functionality also allows agents to identify previously booked air segments that are eligible for hotel stays and offer hotel options through confirmation or trip reminder emails. This feature has been crucial in boosting hotel attachment rates even after the initial booking is completed, offering a new way to generate additional revenue for agencies.
What are the key trends and innovations you expect to shape the travel trade industry in the next decade, and how is Sabre preparing for them? The travel trade industry will probably see some transformative changes in the next five to 10 years, driven mostly by technological, environmental, and social factors. In general, I expect a shift toward smarter, more sustainable, and consumer-centric travel experiences. As always, technology will play a key role.
In the AI and machine learning area, I expect to see advances in hyper-personalisation, predictive analytics, and transformation of AI-powered chatbots into sophisticated virtual travel assistants providing end-to-end trip management – including the ability to cancel and rebook during travel disruptions.
Any innovation or transformation will need more than just AI’s smarts; they will require openness, modularity, and, critically, the right data. These pillars will dictate how well AI and new tech integrate with existing systems, adapt to business needs, and deliver value across the diverse travel ecosystem. At Sabre, we continue to focus on intelligent technology, driven by extensive data sets, open, and modular, so that we can help our travel partners to adapt at a pace that makes sense for their business, and their travellers.
Any thoughts on other fundamental challenges you think still need to be addressed to create truly seamless travel experiences? I think the ideal ‘complete trip’ concept is still elusive today for our travellers. A typical travel trip is made up of many travel components which still don’t talk or interact with each other, causing friction to our advisors and end travellers. The openness we’ve talked about is often overlooked. It’s not enough to develop AI-powered technology. That technology must also be built in such a way that it can be added to a host of different systems. When we talk about openness in travel technology, we mean designing AI solutions that integrate seamlessly with a wide array of platforms, systems, and data sources.
We’re not here to lock our partners into a one-size-fits-all approach or demand that their entire tech stack be powered by Sabre. Quite the opposite. The travel industry is incredibly diverse. We want to enable AI to fit into this intricate web without requiring disruptive overhauls, and always keeping the end traveller in mind.
PATA Annual Summit 2025 (PAS 2025) will open with the theme, Timeless Wisdom for a Sustainable Future, in Istanbul, Türkiye from April 21 to 23.
Scheduled to take place at the CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel İstanbul, the summit will explore principles that have shaped perspectives on culture, community, and conservation. Industry leaders will discuss how these insights can be applied to tackle current challenges and seize new opportunities.
PATA Annual Summit 2025 will include city tours of Istanbul; Galata Tower pictured
PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid stated: “The PATA Annual Summit is a premier thought leadership event that brings together global players in the tourism industry to explore trends and address critical issues shaping the future of tourism. We take pride in uniting a diverse range of stakeholders – from public and private sectors to industry experts and young professionals – to foster meaningful, high-level discussions that drive the evolution of the industry.”
Aimed to inspire collaboration and innovation in tourism development, the summit provides a platform for delegates to “engage in critical conversations, exchange insights, and contribute to the advancement of an ever-evolving global tourism landscape”, he added.
The summit will feature a comprehensive programme, including PATA Executive Board & Board meetings, PATA Policy Forum, Government, Education & Industry Roundtables, and plenty of networking opportunities. The PATA Annual General Meeting will be a key element of the event.
Delegates will also have the opportunity to join complimentary half-day tours that take them to explore Istanbul’s cultural and heritage attractions.
Turkish Airlines is the official airline partner for the event and will offer flight discounts to delegates.
Sojern’s latest edition of the State of Destination Marketing 2025 report finds that DMOs are maintaining or increasing digital advertising budgets compared to last year and adopting more sophisticated strategies.
The report, produced through a partnership between Sojern and Benchmark Research Partners – and supported by Brand USA, Destination Canada, the European Travel Commission, and the Caribbean Tourism Organization – builds off the 2024 report and highlights current destination marketing trends.
DMOs are challenged to show clear results with limited resources, and face rising expectations and technological change
“A striking 85 per cent of DMOs are maintaining or increasing digital advertising budgets compared to last year,” said Noreen Henry, chief revenue officer at Sojern.
“As DMOs invest more into their budgets and adopt more sophisticated strategies, they must continue to demonstrate return on that investment, which requires them to leverage advanced tools and data to engage travellers throughout the marketing funnel.”
With insights from nearly 200 global DMOs, government departments, and affiliated tourism entities, the report underscores the resilience of digital advertising.
The report also identifies challenges faced by DMOs in the course of their work – the need to show clear results with limited resources, rising expectations, and technological change.
The pressure is high to deliver results, and the resulting multichannel campaigns are more technical and complex. While 60 per cent use clicks as their top metric, 54 per cent struggle to demonstrate clear ROI, and 37 per cent identify tracking and attribution as key challenges when managing full-funnel campaigns.
Currently, 83 per cent of respondents focus on programmatic advertising.
Display ads (97 per cent), social media advertising (90 per cent), and search engine marketing (80 per cent) remain the dominant channels in DMOs’ paid media strategy.
Meanwhile, AI is reshaping destination marketing, with 63 per cent of DMOs using it for content creation. Only 28 per cent use AI for data analysis, highlighting a massive opportunity to use AI for deeper insights and more effective decision-making.
Addressing resource limitations and training gaps will be critical to unlocking AI’s full potential.
While DMOs have traditionally preferred to run seasonal campaigns, the report revealed that 52 per cent are now favouring always-on campaigns over seasonal ones (40 per cent). Always-on campaigns drive results, with 42 per cent reporting improved brand awareness as the most significant impact an always-on marketing strategy has on overall campaign performance.
DMOs are getting better at crafting campaigns for specific audiences – for example, 66 per cent are extensively focusing on outdoor enthusiasts, but only 15 per cent are using advanced personalisation techniques that adjust offerings in real time across channels.
This leaves a huge opportunity to create more tailored experiences for travellers at every stage of their journey.
As travel and tourism recovers from the pandemic, DMOs are now rebalancing and adopting a long-term strategic approach for their campaigns. As a result, brand awareness has become more important, and shift is clear in how campaigns are being run – now split 50/50 between stage-specific and full-funnel strategies, a big change from 2024 when full-funnel dominated at 70 per cent.
Sojern’s report also stated that data is a powerful tool for DMOs, but many realise that figuring out how to use it effectively is no easy task. More than half (51 per cent) of DMOs say data analysis is a major challenge, and 45 per cent struggle to turn that data into actionable strategies.
Still, these hurdles present an opportunity for DMOs to stand out by using data to create campaigns that hit the mark.
The report shows that most DMOs are already leveraging data – 84 per cent for digital marketing insights, 75 per cent for tracking visitor statistics, and 69 per cent for market research.
On the new media front, social media remains central, with 91 per cent of DMOs using it for marketing and 99 per cent ranking Facebook and Instagram among their top five channels. However, connected TV (CTV) and short-form video are gaining traction as emerging formats, offering significant potential for DMOs to create immersive, visually rich campaigns that resonate deeply with travellers.
The Maldives’s newly launched destination campaign, the World’s Biggest Getaway, which dishes out free holidays to lucky winners throughout 2025, has been a big hit. The January contest alone attracted 28,000 engagements.
The year-long campaign, launched in January by the state-owned Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC/Visit Maldives), is ready to award 52 free holidays. A series of social media contests will be conducted on Visit Maldives’ platforms, and four lucky winners will be selected every month.
Dusit Thani Maldives (pictured), Sky Beach Maldives, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, and Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives are prize sponsors for the January draws
Abdullah Ghiyas, MMPRC chairman and also president of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), told TTG Asia that the public has been exceptionally interested in this campaign, and for good reason – the World’s Biggest Getaway is the country’s largest global campaign.
“We expect interest to keep growing exponentially as the year progresses,” he said.
January winners took home free holidays sponsored by Dusit Thani Maldives, Sky Beach Maldives, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, and Barceló Whale Lagoon Maldives.
Ghiyas shared that while the overall theme of the campaign emphasises that “the Maldives is the best place to visit any week of any month of the year”, the contests take on monthly themes. The theme for January was Discover Your Maldives, while for February it is Your Dream Luxury Vacation.
Ghiyas is confident that the campaign will capture the interest of a diverse range of travellers, as the Maldives offers something exceptional for everyone.
“Pristine beaches and overwater bungalows naturally appeal to those seeking luxury and romance. However, the Maldives is also a fantastic destination for families, with resorts offering kid-friendly activities and amenities, and also for adventure enthusiasts,” he said, adding that the destination is emerging on the business events scene, thanks to the availability of world-class facilities and stunning venues.
Suresh Dissanayake, assistant vice president of sales & marketing at Adaaran Resorts and Heritance Aarah, told TTG Asia that the campaign is “gaining a lot of traction in many parts of the world”. His resorts are partners in the campaign and are contributing to the prizes.
The Maldives welcomed two million travellers in 2024 and 1.8 million in 2023.
At the start of the year, MMPRC/Visit Maldives announced an ambitious target of US$5 billion in tourism receipts for 2025.
Marriott International’s Asia Pacific excluding China region leadership share the company’s performance report for 2024; from left: Oriol Montal, John Toomey, Shawn Hill and Rajeev Menon
Marriott International has reported another record year of deals for 2024, following on from its stellar record-breaking year in 2023. This time, it scored 109 deals across 11 markets in the Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) region – up from 80 in 2023. These deals add 21,439 rooms to the region’s development pipeline and close the year with 77,532 rooms in the pipeline – a 12 per cent increase over 2023.
Addressing journalists at a briefing in Singapore on February 6, Shawn Hill, chief development officer, APEC, Marriott International, said the company had achieved two milestones with 2024’s performance.
Marriott International’s Asia Pacific excluding China region leadership share the company’s performance report for 2024; from left: John Toomey, Shawn Hill, Oriol Montal, and Rajeev Menon
“This is the first time we have ever crossed 100 deals and 20,000 rooms in a single year,” said Hill.
Hill attributed the energetic signings to “trust and confidence” among owners and partners in Marriott International.
“Thirty-five per cent of our signings in 2024 were with existing owners and partners. They choose our brands, they believe in us, and choose us to grow with them.
“At the same time, 40 per cent of 2024 deals were conversions – owners taking their old flags and brands and converting them into Marriott brands and hotels,” he said, adding that the team was also proud of acquiring 7,000 rooms through portfolio or large multi-unit transactions.
India, Japan, and Indonesia were the biggest growth markets for the company in the region, comprising 72 per cent of the region’s deal signings in the year. These countries also saw “all-time record-high signings”.
Signings in India last year resulted in 7,000 additional rooms, followed by Japan with 5,000 rooms, and Indonesia with more than 2,000 rooms. Inventory in Vietnam (plus 2,000 rooms), Malaysia (plus 1,000 rooms) and Thailand (plus 1,000 rooms) also expanded on the back of fresh signings.
Marriott International has made growing its luxury portfolio a key focus in APEC, with 19 per cent of signed deals in 2024 belonging to this category. A record 21 agreements were signed, representing 4,600 rooms in the region across six Marriott International Luxury Group brands. These signings will result in debuts of the Edition brand in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Mumbai, India; The Ritz-Carlton in Jaipur and Udaipur, India; a second W Hotels in Singapore, and more.
Luxury properties in APEC now form a third of Marriott International’s global luxury pipeline.
Oriol Montal, managing director luxury, APEC, said the luxury travel outlook is bright due to strong spending intentions among Generation Z consumers, who have indicated in a Marriott International study that they would “put their savings on a luxury vacation before buying a luxury good”.
Montal added that Marriott International is in a leading position to respond to travel trends among high net worth individuals. These travellers are prioritising transformative adventures and experiences, and the company has gone into new areas of business that allow it to satiate these desires. Citing examples, he pointed to Marriott International’s first tented camp that opened in Kenya last year, expansion into luxury cruising with Luminara, and partnerships that bring “lifetime experiences” onto properties.
However, the hottest brand for 2024 signings was the midscale Four Points Flex by Sheraton. This was made possible by Marriott International’s portfolio deal with US private equity firm, KKR, which gave it 14 conversion projects across Japan. The first Four Points Flex by Sheraton in the deal opened in Osaka in November 2024.
“We have since gone on to sign a few extras with KKR, also for Japan,” Hill told TTG Asia, adding that Marriott International is looking to take the brand out of Japan and into South-east Asia, India and Australia.
“Four Points Flex by Sheraton is by far the number one brand for 2024 in terms of both hotel units and rooms. Number two is the Courtyard by Marriott brand, followed by Marriott, JW Marriott, and Sheraton in fifth place,” he shared.
In 2023 signings, the Fairfield by Marriott brand led the way among owners, followed by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, and JW Marriott; The Luxury Collection and Westin tied in fifth place.
The year 2024 also saw the company entering Papua New Guinea with Marriott Executive Apartments Port Moresby and bringing the lifestyle-focused Moxy Hotels brand to more cities in APEC.
Meanwhile, the company’s loyalty programme, Marriott Bonvoy, has acquired more than 219 million members worldwide – a 60 per cent growth since 2019. John Toomey, chief commercial officer, APEC, noted that more than 70 per cent of bookings originated from the Marriott Bonvoy app in 2024.
Toomey said the programme has evolved successfully from a traditional loyalty programme into a lifestyle platform with amazing partnerships, such as with Rakuten, Gojek, and more.
He later told TTG Asia that Marriott Bonvoy is able to secure such a high level of engagement and bookings by being functional and by offering benefits that members value.
Rounding up the performance briefing, Rajeev Menon, president, APEC, Marriott International, said 2025 would bring “really good growth opportunities across South-east Asia and South Asia” despite global geopolitical challenges. This is because US and western companies are following a China-plus-one diversification strategy while China itself is aggressively investing in “our part of the world”.
Also fuelling his confidence is a “shift” in spending priorities towards travel, where even though international arrivals are not yet back to 2019 levels for some countries, tourism receipts are “at an all-time high”.
Following the landmark success of Further East 2024, the organisers are eager to “double down” on serving Asia-Pacific travel in the next edition, which has been announced for Bali from November 3 to 6, 2025.
The team regards the event as the only B2B community that gathers regional brands and global leaders for an exchange of luxury travel visions.
Further East luxury travel tradeshow is known for its “barefoot luxury” way of connecting buyers and sellers that result in strong business relationships
It takes pride in the event’s extended commitment to sustainability, which it acknowledges is “a headline issue in Asia-Pacific, considering how many developing economies and long-haul flight paths have sprung up in the region over the last several decades”.
At Further East 2024, recycled lanyards, bags and bracelets were distributed instead of disposable collateral. The event team was able to cut PVC usage by 95 per cent while investing in more structures to repurpose for many years. Part of the Further East brand’s Asia-Pacific mission is to show what is possible with the right partners and planning.
Last year’s show also coincided with a rebrand. The theme, Around The World in 72 Hours, developed language and imagery around The Circle – an emblem of intimacy, infinite progress, and mutual influences from the region’s past and future.
Further East’s associate event director, Sophia Asghar, said: “The Circle symbolises our tight-knit community, as well as high-end travel discovering its new centre. We’ve used it across FE – from banners and signage to email templates and sign-offs. I’m so proud of our creative team for tackling this concept from so many angles!
“Delegates loved our new look in 2024. This year, we’re making The Circle a permanent fixture of our messaging and visual palette. The challenge now is to conjure another theme that says as much about what the industry needs today, and how we’re serving it.”
While last year’s event welcomed a larger geographical scope, with the debut of South Korean exhibitors, organisers expect an expanded South Korea presence in 2025, which will cement the country as a bucket list destination.
Additionally, the show has strengthened its venue partnerships – chiefly with Desa Potato Head, which hosted the previous registration and opening party as well as ideas festival Open House, which recorded its highest attendance rate in 2024.
Serge Dive, founder and CEO of parent company This is Beyond, emphasised Further East’s ability to offer “close-knit, casual connections”.
“We’re creating a freer environment on the edge of the ocean and it pays off. In just a week here, our attendees can develop more useful relationships than they might at much bigger events, because they share the same mission and have the time and space to pursue it.”
Sabre’s research found that just 37 per cent of travel bookings include a hotel stay. What is the significance of this finding, and what is the impact on revenue opportunities?
