Travel trade operatives at Japan’s regional ports are set to get a boost under a new tourism plan to increase the number of ports that accept foreign-registered cruise ships to 100 by 2025, up from 67 in 2019.
Interest in Japan is high since the country lifted its three-year docking ban on overseas-registered cruise vessels in March and is set to rebound quickly according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, which estimates port calls by such ships in 2023 could reach 60 per cent of the 2,000 recorded in 2019.
Silversea’s Silver Muse returns for sailings to Kagoshima
The national government’s new Tourism Nation Promotion Plan, which was approved at the end of March, will encourage ports in Japan’s rural areas to welcome international cruises in a bid to curb over-tourism and spread tourism spending nationwide, including to remote islands.
In 2019, the ports of Naha in Okinawa, Hakata in Fukuoka, and Yokohama in Kanagawa, were most visited by foreign-operated cruise ships, according to government data, but now lesser well-known areas will have opportunities to contend with larger ports.
In Kagoshima Prefecture, which stretches from the southern tip of Kyushu to Okinawa Prefecture, mainland and island ports are scheduled to receive 149 calls by international cruise ships in 2023.
In northern Japan, Yamagata Prefecture has listed welcoming international cruises as “one of the pillars in its efforts to attract inbound tourists” in its new tourism plan, said Yuta Endo, chief officer of the prefecture’s inbound promotion section.
The resumption of China’s cruise sector this month is adding confidence to the market as Chinese visitors accounted for about 80 per cent of all international arrivals at Japan ports in 2019.
On June 19, Blue Dream Star operated by Blue Dream Cruises departed from Shanghai for Japanese ports and, in July, the CSSC Carnival will begin sailings from Shanghai to Okinawa.
Merlin Entertainments (ME), which operates Legoland and resort theme parks, is on a “mandate to grow” and its new CEO has identified opportunities in the region for its indoor Midway attractions.
Calling himself a “growth CEO”, Scott O’Neil, who was appointed six months ago, has been visiting team members in the region to spread his message, assess existing assets and explore business development opportunities with leaders of other attractions.
O’Neil: excited about growth for Midway in 24 gateway cities, including Singapore, Shanghai, Osaka and Seoul
O’Neil predicted that Asia would be ME’s fastest region of growth in 2024.
ME was privatised in 2019, in a reported US$7.5 billion deal, and he shared that more Midway attractions, which are located in city centres, shopping malls or resorts and include brands such as Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE, the Dungeons, and others, would be added.
Visitors, he explained, typically spend between two to three hours at these attractions.
O’Neil said “merger and acquisition (M&A) activity was buying better value than before” and he was “most excited about growth for Midway in 24 gateway cities, including Singapore, Shanghai, Osaka and Seoul”.
This expansion, he continued, would be based on “London as the model, our most successful business where 25 per cent of tourists goes to one of our attractions”.
ME was studying “what of that model works, how to acquire management contracts and add value to M&As with its know-how to cross-sell and upsell,” he noted.
During a 24-hour visit to Singapore, and Legoland Malaysia Johor Bahru last week, O’Neil told TTG Asia there were plans to “cluster” and expand Sentosa’s Madame Tussauds by adding an attraction or acquiring one nearby.
Visiting Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau on a North Asia tour in April, O’Neil commented that ME was opening its biggest Legoland in Shenzhen in 2024 and the park in Shanghai, expected to open next year as well, would become its global flagship.
Sojern has release the latest version of its Sojern Travel Marketing Platform with enhanced Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered audiences.
Leveraging its longstanding AI capabilities to provide expanded support for more than 10,000 travel marketers annually, Sojern’s customers comprises hotels and resorts of all sizes, destinations, attractions and airlines.
Sojern’s AI-powered audiences enable marketers to make informed decisions on resource allocation and target the right customer segments
Sojern’s AI-powered audiences offer travel marketers a strategic advantage in optimising their marketing investments. By leveraging AI technology, marketers can make informed decisions on resource allocation, effectively targeting the right customer segments for maximum return on investment and business impact.
Through automated audience segmentation and optimisation, brands engage with relevant audiences in real time, achieving greater precision, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. In response to increasing demand for personalised experience, and 71 per cent expressing their expectation of personalisation from companies, Sojern’s data-driven approach enables brands to deliver highly-tailored campaigns at scale while adhering to data privacy regulations, resulting in a more strategic and impactful marketing strategy that drives new traveller acquisition, boosts direct bookings, and maximises guest loyalty.
“Our customers needed to respond swiftly to the rapidly evolving digital marketing landscape, so during the pandemic, we expanded our automation and AI capabilities. It all begins with data, specifically the Sojern Traveler Ecosystem, which powers our platform with billions of travel intent signals from thousands of travel brands in every corner of the globe,” said Kurt Weinsheimer, chief solutions officer at Sojern.
“We have competitors that are just now building AI functionality, and I can tell you first-hand that it takes several years to develop and refine the sophisticated AI models that power our platform.”
The three key enhancements to Sojern’s AI-powered audiences include:
Integration of first party offline data By integrating customers’ offline data – including unified access to historical booking data across various distribution channels – Sojern empowers marketers to gain greater visibility and develop more robust audiences. Combining offline data with AI-powered audiences provides deeper insights into consumer behaviour and preferences, facilitating the creation of highly targeted and personalised campaigns.
The platform also enriches and scores offline customer data, helping marketers identify and prioritise conversion-ready customers. Overall, this integration empowers travel marketers to build a holistic and data-driven marketing solution, leading to improved engagement and better business outcomes.
Enhanced support for reactivation Sojern’s platform enables advertisers to identify and engage with previous customers who are currently in the market, driving loyalty throughout the customer journey. By combining reactivation with AI-powered prospecting and retargeting, Sojern’s full funnel strategy ensures increased return on investment and heightened customer satisfaction.
Expanded audience activation Through the Traveler Audiences To-Go offering, advertisers can activate these audiences across multiple advertising platforms of their choice, such as DV360, Xandr, Meta and YouTube, broadening their reach and providing greater convenience and flexibility.
Another significant benefit of Sojern’s AI-powered audiences is the integration with extensive data partnerships. By enriching retargeting, reactivation and prospecting audiences with data from Sojern’s Traveler Ecosystem, advertisers gain a broader view of customers beyond their owned channels or walled garden media platforms.
The use of durable identifiers illuminates blind spots in a privacy-compliant manner, enhancing audience quality and enabling real-time identification of consumers in-market. As a result, AI-powered audiences effectively reach the right audience at the right time with the right message.
“At Sojern, we’ve always believed in AI’s potential to enhance the travel experience. The latest iteration of our platform benefits both our travel marketing customers and their end consumers,” Weinsheimer added.
IndiGo has placed a firm order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, providing the airline a further steady stream of deliveries between 2030 and 2035.
The purchase agreement was signed on June 19 at the Paris Air Show 2023, and is the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline with Airbus.
IndiGo has placed a firm order for 500 Airbus A320 Family aircraft, the largest-ever single aircraft purchase by any airline with Airbus
IndiGo operates over 300 aircraft presently, and has previous orders totalling 480 aircraft which will be delivered between now and 2030. With this additional firm order of 500 aircraft, IndiGo’s order book will total almost 1,000 aircraft, comprising a mix of A320NEO, A321NEO and A321XLR aircraft.
The fuel-efficient A320NEO Family aircraft will allow IndiGo to maintain its strong focus on lowering operating costs and delivering fuel efficiency with high standards of reliability. The young and fuel-efficient fleet will help IndiGo realise its sustainability ambitions, building on the already realised CO2 reduction of 21 per cent between FY16 and FY23.
Pieter Elbers, CEO of IndiGo, said: “This order strongly reaffirms IndiGo’s belief in the growth of India, in the A320 Family and in our strategic partnership with Airbus.”
Although China’s borders are now wide open, ILTM will no longer be holding its China edition in the foreseeable future. It will instead be focusing on the ILTM Asia-Pacific show based in Singapore.
“We’ve made the decision not to do China anymore at this point in time. The reason for this is because there is only so much budget to go around from the suppliers that come to ILTM. If we’ve got two shows in the same region, that budget is spread quite thin,” Alison Gilmore, portfolio director for ILTM Worldwide with RX Global, told TTG Asia.
ILTM will no longer be holding its China edition and will instead focus on the ILTM Asia-Pacific show based in Singapore (Photo: Rachel AJ Lee)
She pointed out that the whole cost of doing business at an ILTM trade show is not limited to just a participation fee. Exhibitors have to fork out money for beautiful booths, air tickets, accommodation and food.
“China was a great show, and we loved being there, but I think we need to make sure that we cover a bigger percentage of the Asia-Pacific region, and we can do that here in Singapore. We used to have an ILTM in Japan too,” she added.
Gilmore noted that every supplier would have different target markets, and being able to access other markets easily from Singapore is a plus point, as not everyone may want the China market.
This approach may well be the right one, as ILTM Asia Pacific 2023 draws strong participation, with floor size back to 2019’s levels.
While international arrivals to Indonesia this year surpass the pre-pandemic level, tour operators have yet to see traffic disperse beyond Bali.
Properties in Bali have more than recovered in hotel bookings – Nusa Dua Beach Hotel’s performance in May 2023 was already 10 per cent higher than the same period in 2019.
Ludri: bookings for June to August are far ahead of 2019
Over at Sol by Meliá Benoa and Sol by Meliá Kuta, cluster director Putu Yeni shared: “We aligned our target for the year with that of 2019, but by mid-year, our bookings are full till the end of the year. In fact, we have started receiving booking for 2024, (and have) just received seven bookings including one wedding from the UK for next year.”
Speaking to TTG Asia during the Bali and Beyond Travel Fair 2023, Ludri Ratnawati, director of sales and marketing of the hotel said: “Bookings for June to August are far ahead of 2019. This summer, Nusa Dua area is particularly busy. Moreover, the ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023 (will take) place (from) August 5 to 12.”
Europe, the traditional market for the hotel, remains high, contributing 30 per cent of the international market mix, although slightly below 2019 levels.
“The UK and German markets slowed down a (little), but France, Poland and Italy are up. Our Australian market, which was only 11 per cent in 2019, is now 29 per cent,” she added.
Panorama Destination’s director Ricky Setiawanto also acknowledged the rapid growth of traffic to Bali, but remarked that most of his European travellers only stay on the island.
He noted: “The tourism recovery is strong, but only for Bali – our overland tours have not returned. Some travellers do (travel) out of Bali but only up to the neighbouring Lombok, Sumba or Labuan Bajo.”
Also, Middle Eastern flights to Jakarta cost more than to Bali, making it even less attractive to take the overland to Bali, Setiawanto opined.
While bookings from German-speaking countries to Bali were high, Marika Gloeckler, executive manager product and contracting, GoVacation Indonesia, said the numbers could be higher if more seats were available. However, most of her clients spent their 12-nights on the island.
She shared that the current trend is to focus on Bali before venturing out to nearby destinations, and that more may travel beyond Bali next year.
In addition, another issue she pointed out is that domestic airlines have not returned to pre-pandemic schedules and pricing, thus making it inconvenient for travellers to plan their trips.
She added that her company had relied on Garuda Indonesia before Covid, but the airline has yet to resume their flights. While Lion Air and Batik Air now cover many destinations in the country, their ever-changing schedules make it difficult to plan an itinerary.
Minor Hotels will be expanding its luxury Anantara brand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Trojena, located in Neom – a planned smart city in Tabuk Province in Saudi Arabia.
Anantara Trojena will offer 270 guestrooms and suites, some of which have private pools, as well as views of the lake and mountains. Other facilities planned for the development include four F&B venues, a fitness centre, Anantara Spa, an infinity pool, an outdoor cinema, event spaces, and a helipad.
Anantara Trojena is set to welcome visitors and residents in late 2026
Situated at an elevation of 2,600 metres, Anantara Trojena will be home to the Gulf’s first outdoor ski resort. It will be located in the Water Village, part of the Valley Cluster of Trojena. Currently under development, The Valley will be home to three developments with a 2.8km-long man-made freshwater lake at its heart. Anantara Trojena is slated to welcome visitors and residents in late 2026, as it works towards hosting the Asian Winter Games in 2029.
Anatara Trojena will also be powered by renewable energy like the rest of NEOM. There is also a Neom International Airport under construction.
During an interview at ILTM Asia Pacific, Elisa Grimaldi, director of public relations and communications at Minor Hotels, told TTG Asia: “We are trying to future-proof our portfolio. We know that things are changing quite rapidly within the world of travel and hospitality – that’s why we’re on the lookout for projects of the future, such as Trojena.”
Another property in line with luxury trends of the future is the “zen-like Anantara Anji Resort in China set in a tea plantation”. Slated to launch in 2025, the property boasts a “sustainability angle” and “wellness elements”, Grimaldi added.
TRENZ 2024 will be held at Tākina Wellington Conference and Exhibition Centre from May 8 to 10 next year.
This will be the first time that Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington will host Aotearoa New Zealand’s biggest tourism trade show.
TRENZ 2024 will be held in May next year at Tākina Wellington Conference and Exhibition Centre, pictured (Photo: Tākina)
Each year, TRENZ brings hundreds of international travel buyers, sellers and media delegates together to meet with New Zealand’s leading tourism operators. Creating economic benefits for the host region, the event brings together more than 1,500 people, where delegates stay with local accommodation providers, experience local tourism attractions, and spend extended time in the region.
The format for 2024 has been remodelled to allow for more time before and after the business meetings for exploration and discovery of the capital city.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA)’s chief executive Rebecca Ingram said: “TRENZ was back with a bang in May and it’s safe to say the event is rapidly evolving and innovating.”
“We can’t wait to welcome domestic and international manuhiri (Māori for visitors) to Te Whanganui-a-Tara and for them to experience first-hand all that New Zealand’s capital city has to offer,” shared Wellington mayor Tory Whanau.
John Allen, CEO at WellingtonNZ, acknowledged the support from Wellington industry partners: “Te Papa, Wellington Airport, Interislander, Wētā Workshop and many of our hoteliers have been instrumental in helping secure TRENZ, reflecting the spirit of collaboration that Wellington is renowned for.”
Intriq Journey has introduced a new incentive to recognise and reward its travel partners for their efforts towards the global travel industry’s strong recovery.
Travel partners will earn a 10 per cent commission for every materialised booking on any Intriq Finesse experience. This collaboration supports the aim to diversify their travel partners’ bespoke services and provide holidaymakers with immersive journeys, which would later improve commercial results and encourage repeat business.
Intriq Finesse will introduce four new expeditions later this year, to destinations such as Tunisia, pictured
In addition, intrepid explorers will get to enjoy hassle-free and all-encompassing holidays led by Intriq Journey’s industry experts and a dedicated Travel Concierge.
Intriq Finesse is a collection of luxury small group journeys powered by Intriq Journey, and are all-inclusive and capped at 16 guests each.
Intriq Journey also capitalises on its strong alliance with global hospitality partners to create truly customised holidays. Launching four unconventional Intriq Finesse expeditions for 2H2023, these include tours ranging from eight to 10 days: Epic Egyptian Odyssey, Enchanting Moldova, Romania & Bulgaria, The Hidden China Silk Road Adventure in Ningxia and Gansu, and Tunisia Odyssey.
Intriq Journey’s chairperson, Chang Theng Hwee, said: “Our partnership with travel partners is vital to Intriq Journey’s goal of providing more opportunities for intrepid travellers to explore destinations that are off-the-beaten-path. In this mutually beneficial offer, we want to incentivise their effort by offering a fixed commission and motivate more partners to ignite the passion for adventure travel among a wider network of clients.”
Malaysia Airlines has become the first airline in Malaysia to launch a voluntary carbon offset programme.
The initiative enables individuals and corporate customers to calculate, understand, and offset the carbon emissions associated with their flights by supporting verified carbon offsetting projects when booking flights through the airline’s website.
Malaysia Airlines’ customers will be provided with visibility into the carbon emissions generated by their flights and given options for offsetting their emission
In collaboration with CHOOOSE, this collaboration marks a milestone in Malaysia Aviation Group’s (MAG) commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, as outlined in the MAG Sustainability Blueprint.
Through the programme, Malaysia Airlines’ customers will be provided with visibility into the carbon emissions generated by their flights during the booking process, and provided with the option to offset their emissions from the flight by supporting projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The funds will then be used to support projects that reduce, capture, or avoid greenhouse gas emissions in an amount equivalent to that of the calculated carbon footprint of the journey.
Philip See, group chief sustainability officer, MAG said: “With the launch of the Carbon Offset Programme, Malaysia Airlines customers are provided with transparency to actively mitigate their carbon footprint and contribute to a greener future, as we collectively take significant steps toward our commitment of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and ensure a Sustainable Tomorrow for all.”
