IATA steps up support in journey to digital identity transformation
IATA is setting standards and developing tools like training and publishing the One ID Handbook to take airlines, airports and governments a step closer to “transforming passenger processing using digital identity technologies”.
The handbook aims to help build a “solid trust framework across global boundaries” and benefits include a “seamless and contactless journey”, a “cost-effective and productive operation, “secure and facilitated” border management, and a “scaleable and interoperable system for the industry”.
Speaking at the recent Aviation Festival Asia, Shu Hui Bian, regional manager, customer experience and facilitation, IATA, said training on One ID: Digital Identity and Biometrics Fundamentals is being offered in Singapore, Beijing and Miami this year. These courses run for four days, across 32 hours in all.
According to IATA, 41 participants from seven countries have taken this course in the past four years.
For passengers, their credentials needed for travel such as passports, visa, etc can be stored in their digital wallets; they can share those credentials with other parties such as airlines, airports and governments with consent in advance before arriving at the airport; complete the process remotely, go through touch points with biometric recognition only; and use the same credentials for the next journey.
IATA One ID standards status shows that the handbook is scheduled to be available in March – digital admissibility is planned for 2024 while dates for contactless travel and biometric handling have yet to be confirmed.
Shu commented: “The key principles of One ID are that passengers own and control their data, can opt in to advance share digital identity information, have a biometric-enabled end-to-end digital experience, that verifying parties request only the minimum data and passengers must have the ability to opt out at any stage for manual processing.”
Pan Pacific Hotels Group makes ambitious return to Indonesia
Singapore-based Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) has marked its return to Indonesia, following six years of absence, with a new opening and two more up its sleeves.
The hotel company opened the 180-unit Parkroyal Serviced Suites Jakarta last January.
Two more will follow – the 158-key Pan Pacific Jakarta in mid-2024 and the 160-key Parkroyal Jakarta in 4Q2024.
All three properties will be housed in the 95-storey Luminary Tower in the Thamrin Nine mixed-use complex. The serviced suites, now in operation, occupy levels 73 to 82. Pan Pacific Jakarta will be on levels 83 to 89 while Parkroyal Jakarta will be on the lower levels.
PPHG’s reentry comes at a competitive time when Jakarta is seeing a boom in new upscale hotels and residences.
Ed Brea, complex general manager of the three properties, told TTG Asia that PPHG’s owner, UOL Group, is confident about Indonesia and committed too.
“Unlike most international brands here, PPHG not only manages but also owns both Parkroyal Serviced Suites and Pan Pacific Jakarta. On top of that, we manage the hotel (Parkroyal Jakarta) belonging to the developer (Putragaya Wahana),” he said.
Such confidence stems from the fact that Indonesia is one of the fastest growing economies in South-east Asia, which will entice international business, according to Brea, who added that the country’s sizeable young population and huge domestic market altogether make Jakarta an underrated business city.
Brea said: “(Being a new kid on the block), I guess it is our advantage to have three products that target three different market segments, in an area where no new hotels were built for years. All the major hotels here (along the Sudirman-Thamrin Streets) are matured properties.”
He said the opening of Parkroyal Serviced Suites was well positioned to capture a market that is not tapped into.
“We chose to open the serviced suites first because we felt there was a great need for such a property right now. We are running at 30 per cent occupancy within two months of opening,” he added.
Pan Pacific Jakarta will target high-end travellers while Parkroyal Jakarta will cater to those looking for mid-scale accommodation.
Brea expects the three properties to charm various market segments, beyond corporate business, thanks to the availability of meeting facilities and the support of a lifestyle mall and concert hall in the Thamrin Nine complex. An underground access way connecting the complex with the MRT train station will be built for guests’ convenience.
Commenting on the rate strategy in the competitive city, Brea said the three properties have clear distinctions. Parkroyal Serviced Suites presently runs with daily rates, but these will “go away” once the other two properties are open for business.
All three properties will function with one sales and marketing team, ensuring a complementary relationship instead of a competitive one.
Editor’s note; The original copy stated 178 keys at the Parkroyal Jakarta; this is a mistake and has been corrected. PPHG is also managing the property for the developer, not the contractor, as it was wrongly stated.
Malaysian Association of Hotels celebrates milestone with first domestic travel fair
The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) will host its inaugural domestic tourism fair to mark its 50th Anniversary this year.
This two-day consumer event will take place at Pavilion Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, starting on July 6.
Khoo Boo Lim, organising chairperson and vice president of MAH, revealed that the fair would showcase various state tourism pavilions, including Negri Sembilan, Pahang, and Melaka alongside presence by Tourism Malaysia.
Khoo emphasised that the fair would stand out from others in the marketplace with its exclusive focus on the inbound sector.
MAH envisions turning this fair into an annual event and expanding its reach beyond Kuala Lumpur, pending support from its members.
The event is expected to feature over 200 exhibitors from across the hospitality spectrum and attract over 10,000 visitors.
Khoo encouraged members to take the opportunity to promote their properties, especially in areas that are off the beaten track, as well as provide consumers with competitive rates.
More than 2,500 room vouchers will be distributed to visitors with any purchases made at the event.
Christina Toh, MAH president, highlighted at a press conference that participating hotels would present attractive value propositions tailored for Malaysians. These may include room-and-breakfast packages and discounted rates for second room purchases.
Travel Exclusive Asia kicks off expansion plans
DMC Travel Exclusive Asia now serves Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in addition to Thailand, and has revealed plans for further expansion in the future.
Yves Van Kerrebroeck, managing partner for Indochina and group business development director, said the move gives the DMC the chance to curate a raft of combined tours between the four destinations, as well as individual packages for each to cater to the growing slow travel trend emerging from European markets.
“There are many combinations between Thailand and Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, and also with Vietnam; there’s a lot of opportunities there,” Kerrebroeck told TTG Asia, adding that in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, there was a shift towards solo country travel.
However, that is changing.
“Now, we’re seeing more demand for multi-country programmes, which we wouldn’t have seen two years ago,” Kerrebroeck added, noting a demand for 60-day multi-destination itineraries.
“Everyone is complaining about ticket prices for long-haul flights, so it makes sense to stay a bit longer. In the European market, there’s definitely a trend for people wanting to spend a bit more time in a destination,” he said.
Kerrebroeck added that since Travel Exclusive Asia launched in 2016, himself and founder, André van der Marck, have built up a strong reputation as experts in Thailand. Kerrebroeck also spent five years working in Vietnam, as well as in a role overseeing multi-country and wholesale divisions.
“I have a great network, I know a lot of suppliers and lots of agents know me as somebody who knows these destinations, so it made a lot of sense,” he said. “We really meet the demand of our existing clientele and a lot of potential new agents are very excited by this.”
Kerrebroeck added that the company has set its sights on further expansion in the region, eyeing up Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. “I think these are the regions that are next on our list to really offer a full range of satisfaction destinations.”
Indian hotel federation joins Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
India’s hospitality industry has taken what it calls a major step forward in its journey towards achieving net positive hospitality, as the Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) joins forces with Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
The alliance, which represents over 50,000 hotels and seven million rooms globally, will collaborate with the FHRAI, acting as a champion for innovation and climate action in the industry. Both organisations plan to work on joint projects and share knowledge, leveraging each other’s tools and programmes to promote best practices within India’s hospitality sector.
The FHRAI provides a crucial link between the hospitality industry, political leadership, academics and international associations, creating a platform for dialogue and thought leadership within the industry.
Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, is enthusiastic about the possibilities this partnership brings. “This is a milestone for the alliance, and will undoubtedly support India’s climate action and bring its vast hotel and restaurant sector towards net positive,” he remarked.
Pradeep Shetty, FHRAI president, said: “We are starting an exciting journey together to reshape the hospitality industry in India. This collaboration demonstrates our strong commitment to reducing our environmental impact while optimising our beneficial influence on the communities we serve”.
Interest in Cambodia high among European travellers
Cambodia is hoping to tap into the slow travel trend, with a notable uptick in interest in the nation as a single travel destination.
Steve Lidgey, general manager of Travel Asia a la Carte, told TTG Asia that during ITB Berlin 2024, there was an increase in interest in Cambodia from European agents as a standalone destination.
Traditionally, the Kingdom has been popular as an add-on to Thailand, Vietnam and other South-east Asian destinations. The average stay in the country sits at three days.
“It’s been good to see that many people are interested in Cambodia as a single destination, not combining it with other countries,” Lidgey said. “People want to explore the destination and not just spend three or four days there.”
He said that soaring flight prices to the Kingdom, coupled with the increasing post-lockdown slow travel trend, are pushing the movement.
“Once you arrive in Cambodia, there’s no need to take any domestic flights,” Lidgey stated, adding he received a group booking for a 30-day tour of Cambodia, with a group about to set off on a 23-day cross-country adventure.
“People are starting to be interested in staying longer in Cambodia to get a full feel of the country. Instead of only Siem Reap and the temples and Phnom Penh, they want to go to Battambang, see the dolphins in Kratié, trek in Mondulkiri, and experience the people,” he said.
“Many Europeans are showing interest in slow travel, and we can see they want to spend more time in one destination.”
He said out of Western markets, slow travel is more accessible for Europeans due to the longer annual leave they receive over, for example, the US.
Lidgey also called on the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism to put more work into forward planning. Annually, Cambodia hosts a raft of colourful cultural festivals, including Khmer New Year, Bon Om Touk (Water Festival), and Pchum Ben (festival of the dead).
However, the itineraries and activities for each are released just weeks ahead, meaning tour operators cannot promote them to longhaul markets that tend to book months in advance.
“There are a lot of interesting opportunities to introduce guests to the traditions of these festivals, but we need to know the schedule in advance,” he urged.
Dubai airport pushes further for progress
Dubai International Airport (DXB) wants to explore passenger-centric strategies and is rethinking mega infrastructure development cost, design and size.
Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports (DA) CEO, wants to see airports of the future that are smaller, where passengers walk less; the proliferation of more right-sized, well-connected facilities to distribute loads; a greater focus on technology to speed travellers through with “no red lights”; and operations that can be measured to make the airport more cost effective.
Griffiths told delegates at the recent Aviation Festival Asia that airport operators are in the hospitality business and not infrastructure development.
He remarked that DA “did not retrench staff and knew recovery would be rapid even though we did not know when, but we would be ready”, sharing that DA worked with a service business partner who trained staff to its standard and had access to a flexible employment base that was “highly motivated”.
Dubai was among one of the first cities to reopen and DXB handled 86.9 million passengers in 2023, surpassing the 86.3 million in 2019. It is connected to 262 destinations in 104 countries via just over 100 international carriers.
The city-state welcomed a record 17 million visitors in 2023 and the 60:40 ratio of transit vs visit traveller at the end of the pandemic has now flipped to 40:60 and Dubai government is aiming for a 50:50 target.
“The government knows how important the airport is to the city and both have equal prominence in contributing to GDP,” Griffiths noted, adding that two-thirds of flights were within an eight-hour radius and four hours for the rest.
While the transfer market in the region – Qatar, Turkey, Abu Dhabi, etc – was “very competitive”, tourism potential was “extraordinarily enormous”.
“Like Europe, visitors coming to the Middle East visit more than one country. During the 2022 World Cup, 465,000 passengers travelled between Dubai and Doha so competition stimulates far more demand,” he commented.
ILTM Asia Pacific attracts record attendance amid strong post-lockdown growth
The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Asia Pacific is gearing up for its most significant edition yet, with a record-breaking 650 international buyers set to attend this year’s show at Marina Bay Sands from July 1 to 4, 2024.
Steve O’Loughlin, ILTM’s hosted buyer lead, told TTG Asia: “This year’s 650 accredited buyers marks a 28 per cent increase from the 2023 edition. Thirty-six per cent of the buyers are from Australia and New Zealand, and for the Chinese market this year, we will host over 100 luxury buyers – this is double the number from 2023.”
Meanwhile, nine per cent of the buyers hail from India, another key region for ILTM.
“India is growing with more airports being built in the next four to five years, (which bodes well for) outbound travel. We need to be ahead of the curve and invite and host buyers dealing with the growing wealth in India,” he added.
This growth signals a robust appetite for travel in the region, reflecting the increasing expenditure on leisure travel plans by outbound travellers.
According to O’Loughlin, buyer selection is meticulous. Using a curated database, ILTM identifies and invites senior decision-makers with proven track records ensuring a high level of industry engagement. To qualify, hosted buyers must have an annual revenue of at least one million pounds (US$1.3 million), emphasising their dealings with High Net Worth Individuals.
Buyers will have 54 pre-scheduled appointments lasting 15 minutes each over the three-day event, and will be able to join in various networking opportunities at the Opening Forum and Closing Party. At this year’s edition, buyers can also expect to meet with more European and Japanese destinations.
“There is more airlift now from Asia-Pacific to Europe, and this is demonstrated by the European hotels who are exhibiting. Inbound travel to Japan is growing beyond belief, and consumers are now looking at other prefectures such as Okinawa,” O’Loughlin explained.
Other notable exhibitors include Los Angeles Tourism (a significant new attendee), Edition Hotels returning after three years, Banyan Tree, Wilderness Safaris, Avalon Waterways, and Uniworld.
Saudi Tourism Authority, Trip.com Group to boost inbound travel to Saudi
Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and Trip.com Group have partnered to drive greater inbound tourists to Saudi Arabia as part of its Vision 2030 programme, with the aim of drawing over 350 thousand additional tourists to Saudi over the course of the agreement.
This collaboration will encompass all brands under Trip.com Group’s umbrella, including Trip.com, Ctrip, Qunar, Skyscanner, Travix, and Make My Trip, to showcase Saudi’s tourist offerings to a worldwide audience through the utilisation of Trip.com Group’s expertise across tech, content creation, and AI development.
In addition, STA and Trip.com Group will collaborate to further develop AI travel products and payment solutions, which will assist travellers in building itineraries, booking flights, and making seamless payments.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and board member, STA, said: “Our partnership with Trip.com Group, our largest strategic partnership to date, further demonstrates our commitment to building successful collaborations with global partners to unlock shared value and go beyond traditional marketing. Together, we are leveraging the latest technologies and innovations to boost tourism across Saudi and shape its future.”
“Our team is thrilled to strengthen cooperation with the Saudi Tourism Authority, deepening collaboration across products, technology, and marketing to promote the captivating destinations of Saudi Arabia. We have previously collaborated on a cross-platform campaign, which doubled product sales targets compared to the same period last year,” shared Schubert Lou, COO of Trip.com.
Following the establishment of strong demand from two major Asia-Pacific source markets, India and China, Abu Dhabi is now preening its feathers for more travellers from the region, with South Korea and Pakistan on its checklist.
Abdulla Yousuf, director of international operations with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), underlined the importance of the Asia-Pacific region. He stated that India and China are among the top three tourism performers for Abu Dhabi, and the rest of the region holds great potential for growth.
Citing South Korea as an example, Abdulla said an upgraded air service agreement between the UAE and South Korea was inked in 2023, and that led to a doubling of flights between the two points. In-market efforts are facilitated by an Abu Dhabi tourism office in South Korea.
“We are now studying the potential of the Japanese outbound market. Data shows that Japanese travellers have a keen interest in the Middle East. We want to find out what their spending power is, what they look for on their trips, etc, before designing our strategy for Japan,” he told TTG Asia.
DCT Abu Dhabi has made firm inroads into India and China through the power of celebrity endorsement. In India, the NTO signed on Indian superstar Ranveer Singh for a two-year contract in May 2023. As destination ambassador, he appears in Abu Dhabi’s One Summer Isn’t Enough campaign, where he explores Abu Dhabi’s top draws.
In China, Chinese actress Liu Yifei fronts the destination’s campaigns.
Would DCT Abu Dhabi draw on additional stars to raise its brand presence in other Asia-Pacific markets? Abdulla said plans are still in the works, and the celebrity would likely be a “global face that can be plugged into multiple markets”.
He added that DCT Abu Dhabi maintains market presence throughout the year, via a global brand campaign and a specific campaign each for winter and summer. The campaign slogan, Find your pace, inspires curiosity for every type of traveller to explore Abu Dhabi, presenting the destination’s hidden gems and popular attractions through a new lens.
“Whether you travel with the family, favour adventure, seek culture, or just want to go slow and lie on the beach all day, Abu Dhabi allows you to find your own pace within the destination,” Abdulla elaborated.
Destination branding is supported by trade partnerships for tactical offers and B2B roadshows in key source markets. The tourism office led several roadshows across India, China and South Korea throughout 2023, and will continue to do so this year.
The inaugural APAC Summit will debut in June 2024, bringing trade buyers from across Asia-Pacific into the destination for knowledge exchange and a chance to experience Abu Dhabi for themselves.
When asked about new tourism draws, Abdulla said: “Abu Dhabi’s existing attractions are still refreshing because many travellers did not get to travel outbound for a long time. It is important that a destination not only highlights new draws but also finds new experiences within existing attractions and landmarks.”
Yet, Abu Dhabi does have a few new lures. Snow Abu Dhabi opened last year, allowing visitors to ski all year round. Also new is SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. According to Abdulla, the marine attraction rescues creatures from the Gulf for rehabilitation before releasing them back into their natural habitat.
“SeaWorld Abu Dhabi has attracted a lot of school groups from abroad as well as marine researchers,” he said.
Coming up soon is teamLab Phenomena in the Saadiyat Cultural District, and a new season of NBA (National Basketball Association) Abu Dhabi Games 2024, where Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets will play two pre-season games on October 4 and 6 in Yas Island.
“Abu Dhabi is so good with culture, family activities, and events. Some of the best events of the world are held here, like NBA, Formula One and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship),” he added.