Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong has launched a first-of-its-kind dog hotel boarding service, which will allow furkids to staycation in style and comfort even while their ‘pawrents’ are away.
Pet parents can enjoy peace of mind while their dogs board in a guestroom on the property’s dog-friendly floor, cared for by experienced Dog Ambassador staff members.
Dogs and owners can dine together at The Farmhouse with the new Doggy Dim Sum Cart
Dog guests will enjoy daily relax-and-exercise sessions at the Upper Farm Doggy Playground outdoor terrace, and be monitored by the Dog Ambassador team via an in-room web camera.
The Hyatt Centric Dog Hotel Service includes accommodation, daily 30-minute session at Upper Farm Doggy Playground, two meals (food provided by dog parents) and water bowl refills, and an in-room web camera for hotel teams to monitor the dogs.
Available from March 16, the dog hotel boarding service is priced from HK$800 (US$101.90) per night for one dog (less than 30kg, except for guide dogs). Dogs from the same family are allowed to share the same room, with a maximum of four dogs, at additional cost.
In addition, the hotel has also introduced a Doggy Dim Sum Cart on The Farmhouse’s outdoor Garden Terrace, with dog parking hooks installed so pet parents can easily enjoy their meal.
Guests who book the Dog Hotel Service will enjoy 35 per cent off the breakfast buffet and 30 per cent off the lunch and dinner buffets.
I started the New Year with a short trip to Sri Lanka, at the behest of Chamintha Jayasinghe, co-founder of Ayu in the Wild experience curator and friend, who charmed me over with stories of her projects that support local community and environmental causes through her earnings as well as the steely persistance of her peers in the travel and tourism industry to revive international arrivals in their own ways amid widespread misconception of the country’s tourism readiness.
Chamintha showed me some of her favourite places to dine, socialise and recharge in Colombo, Galle, Tangalle, Weligama and Hambantota. Everywhere I went was as peaceful and inviting as equivalents in Bangkok, Penang and Singapore, yet at the same time so different in sights, sounds and flavours that they left me making mental notes to return with the family for a long and proper vacation soon.
What a gem! But also, what a hidden gem. Sharing my experience with friends and industry colleagues, I realised that not many know that Sri Lanka can provide a great holiday for gourmands, nature lovers, adventurers, romantics and more. The versatility of the destination also means it is possible for one to have a wildlife adventure, cool highlands retreat, beachfront sojourn and heritage deep-dive all in a single trip.
My time in Sri Lanka got me thinking about the value of destination marketing, especially to correct misconceptions, instil travel confidence and inspire exploration. We saw how destination marketing played out throughout the pandemic and the progressive return of travel freedom. Savvy NTOs continued with marketing to keep the travel dream alive, and when restrictions eased messaging fired up to spur people into action.
However, many of these savvy NTOs have big marketing guns. They ride on the star power of celebrities like Charlie Puth (Singapore), Rose Byrne (Australia), Lee Jae Wook (South Korea) and Roger Federer (Switzerland), splurge on visually-stunning exposures on global media platforms, and invest in numerous travel influencers.
Destinations that are most desperate for the return of tourism but have lost marketing budget or tourism leadership due to their own set of challenges, are finding it hard to make themselves heard in the din of intense destination marketing today. Unless travellers actively seek out the unusual or have a social circle of first-movers, most will likely go for destinations that are most visible or talked about.
As travel returns, we will see who will emerge as winners in this marketing fight.
People around the world are feeling overwhelmingly more optimistic about travelling in 2023 compared to 2022 and, despite some current instability felt globally, nearly three quarters (73%) report that travelling will always be worth it.
The mood is shifting from one of hopeful uncertainty to bold adaptability. Nothing will be off limits, and everything is on the menu as everyone seeks to find the right balance in a world of contradictions.
If 2022 was about the triumphant return of travel, 2023 will be about creatively reimagining it amid the chaos
At a time of general upheaval, where war, increased societal polarisation, rising inflation and urgent concerns about climate change are all continuing to radically change the world, people are finding themselves in a multi-directional tug-of-war, working to reconcile what is important to them with the demands of everyday life. The 2023 travel predictions reflect this sentiment, revealing that the needs of travellers are moving in a lot of different directions to adapt to changing times.
Saving to splurge
With the background of global economic uncertainty, travellers in Asia-Pacific will continue to prioritise travel in 2023, but will be more mindful of how to make the most of their travel budget and what takes precedence.
People will still place carefree getaways at the top of their agenda, with half (50%) of travellers saying that investing in a vacation remains a top priority for them. But being budget conscious is key, with nearly seven in 10 (70%) travellers continuing to spotlight travel while seeking more bang for their buck.
As such, 2023 will see financially-savvy itinerary curation at its finest, with people planning travel budgets more tightly by taking advantage of deals, hacks and smartly-timed travel (63%) and prioritising value for money with discounts and loyalty programmes (64%).
Nearly two-thirds (58%) will look to save money by considering off-season destinations or longer routes on the journey, while the majority (66%) will be planning travel more in advance in the hope of securing a better deal. About two-thirds (64%) believe the best use of their budget is to opt for one or two longer vacations instead of several short breaks. Within this context, many Asia-Pacific travellers are also surprisingly prepared to dial up their spending – and even splurge – on the components of their trip that mean the most to them.
More than half (53%) admit that they plan to be more indulgent in their spending habits while on vacation to make up for the lack of travel during the last couple of years, while 50% plan to spend lavishly to ensure they maximise their trip, and every experience is worth it.
Glamourising the good ol’ days
Amid global instability and the desire for escapism, people intend to carve out travel experiences that hark back to simpler times, with nostalgic getaways (90%) that provide the thrill of reliving the glory days on top of the wishlist in 2023.
There’s a desire – even for millennials and Gen-Zs who never lived it – to disappear into the romanticism of a pre-digital era, with nearly a quarter (21%) of travellers chasing experiences that evoke (faux) emotive memories of days gone past, such as visiting landmarks or attractions featured in iconic retro films or opting for a bus as a primary mode of transport to live the group spirit of school trips.
Asia-Pacific travellers are no longer forfeiting play in favour of rest and relaxation, increasingly seeking the adrenaline rush of theme parks (60%) and drawing on the imagination with activities such as escape rooms, scavenger hunts and building fortresses with giant building blocks.
With millennials now the parents of young kids, there will be an increase in destinations previously popular in the 80s and 90s such as Budva in Montenegro, a glam alternative to St Tropez for celebs in the 80s or Bolzano in Italy, popular for its retro Christmas markets – both destinations which feature on the list of 2023 trending destinations. Millennial travellers will be first to book emerging era-themed accommodations that transport them back to a time they hold close to their hearts and will likely be doing so with family by their side (54%), with multi-generational trips on top of the travel agenda in 2023.
Preppers in paradise
Half (50%) of Asia-Pacific travellers want their travelling experiences to have a more back-to-basics feel, and are looking for ‘off-grid’ style vacations to escape from reality (57%), and switch off and experience life with only the bare necessities (50%). Travellers are also keen to use travel in 2023 as an opportunity to learn survival skills (64%) including how to source clean water (56%), light a fire from scratch (45%), forage for food in the wild (44%) and even prep for an apocalypse (46%).
Expect to see more eco-friendly, earthly stays springing up to accommodate burnt-out city dwellers searching for simplicity, as well as accommodations offering guidance for guests on how to be more self-sufficient, e.g., sourcing and preparing their own meals during their stay. An increase in wilderness survival schools where travellers will learn essential skills needed to live through a cataclysmic event is also predicted to pop up around the world.
Off-grid in 2023 won’t necessarily mean roughing it though. There is a common perception that this means giving up luxuries (59%), however, there is a strong desire to combine the two with 56% only considering travelling ‘off-grid’ if it can be at a more indulgent stay.
And how unplugged is off-grid really for the traveller of 2023? Close to two-thirds (60%) will have a non-negotiable requirement: phone and internet connection at their destination is essential – so expect this cohort to be weathering the wilderness with 5G.
Virtual voyagers
It used to be space travel that was ambitious and ‘outer worldly’. But now that’s happened, what and where next? With over half (54%) of travellers here reporting that they will be turning to virtual reality next year to inspire their vacation choices, travel will enter the ever-evolving 3D virtual space of the Metaverse in earnest in 2023.
With over a third (47%) of travellers keen to embark on a multi-day VR or AR travel experience, the Metaverse will be more than ‘try before you buy’; it will educate, entertain, and inspire people, opening the door for infinite adventure. Travellers will no longer be limited by physics and can experiment with different travel experiences in a year when Metaverse worlds will begin replicating and reimaging destinations.
Moving beyond 2023, haptic feedback, and the use of touch to communicate with users, will make virtual travel a truly immersive experience, delivering a credible sense of 3D touch, such as the feel of soft grains of sand and the warmth of the sun.
Travellers will become bolder in their real-life trip choices, after being able to visit them in the Metaverse first via their online avatars – especially handy for those who might feel anxious about trying somewhere new, with 56% more likely to travel to destinations that they wouldn’t have previously considered after virtually experiencing them.
While the Metaverse will offer a new way to experience travel in the year ahead, it still won’t stop people from booking a ticket to their next destination, as close to half (49%) believe that a virtual experience is not fulfilling enough to check it off the bucket list.
Delight in the discomfort zone
Whether it’s bottled-up energy, pent-up frustration or a new lease on life, the world is ready to dive into other cultures and new experiences headfirst. Over half (57%) of Asia-Pacific travellers want to experience complete culture shock in 2023 – be it travelling somewhere with completely different cultural experiences and languages (51%) or exploring lesser-known cities with hidden gems that aren’t already on the radar (27%) – such as 2023 trending destination Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah on the Malaysian island of Borneo.
With over three-quarters (80%) looking forward to experiencing ‘out of comfort zone’ travel that pushes them to the limits, there will be an influx of niche experiences encouraging people to push their travel escapades to the extreme. Half (50%) are on the hunt for the world’s most exotic delicacy such as the hottest chilli pepper, while 44% want to use their vacation for extraterrestrial exploration on UFO or alien spotting tours.
Unsurprisingly, this ‘culture shook’ traveller is also partial to throwing caution to the wind, with more than a quarter (29%) wanting to buy a one-way ticket in 2023 and follow their instinct wherever it takes them.
From daily grind to great company escape
A step change from the ‘work from anywhere’ policies that are now almost as commonplace as annual leave, employees are increasingly keen to preserve vacation time for complete escapism. A significant amount (67%) want their trips to be strictly work-free in 2023, and while half of them (53%) are not interested in working while away, they would consider clocking in for a company retreat or trip.
As such, travelling for business will be back on the agenda in 2023. But unlike the business trips before Covid, employees are seeking more opportunities to build team camaraderie in real life – and away from the office – reflecting a growing demand to incorporate work travel with productive play.
In fact, 51% of the Asia-Pacific workforce is looking forward to their employer planning a ‘real life’ work trip to bring people together and just over half (57%) would like to see their employer use the money saved from the shift to remote/hybrid working models spent on corporate travel or retreats.
In response, 2023 will see a rise in destination business retreats where the focus will be on strengthening relationships and corporate recreation rather than work. Employers will gamify the retreat experience and immerse staff in a world where teamwork is the only option. Think ‘survivor’-themed trips at luxury cabins or country farmhouses complete with communal cooking and outdoor adventure activities, or crime-centric escapes where spy school, detective courses or CSI simulations double as a sight-seeing scavenger hunt.
Businesses stand to see benefits, too – close to two-thirds (63%) of workers in in this region believe exploring new places will inspire them to be more productive at work.
Peaceful pilgrimages
Travel is set to take ‘mind, body and soul’ wellness to the next level in 2023 – a fully immersive, no-holds-barred approach to attaining peace and pleasure including less conventional ways to feel bliss.
Seeking to recentre the mind, meditation and mindfulness getaways are ever popular with Asia-Pacific travellers (53%), while more than two in five (49%) aim to find peace at a silent retreat and over half (52%) are keen to go on a health hiatus that focuses on mental health, transformative health or that helps with life milestones such as menopause or pregnancy.
The Spanish Tourist Office has stepped up marketing efforts in Hong Kong, with a market research now underway to better understand what Hong Kong travellers want out of their post-lockdown holidays.
Speaking to TTG Asia during a recent trade partners engagement event, jointly hosted by the NTO and Barcelona Turisme, Ana Maria Lafuente Córdoba, counsellor for tourism South China, Hong Kong and Macau, said the study will also look into travel patterns.
The Spanish tourism delegation is working to rebuild Hong Kong travel interest in the destination
The Spanish Tourist Office is also investing in a training guide to educate Spanish travel trade partners on the Hong Kong source market, with topics such as marketing how-to and product preferences. Furthermore, content on its online training platform, Spain Specialist Programe, has been renewed, and fam trips are in the works.
Córdoba revealed that fam trips for the press and travel agents are being planned for April/May and September/October respectively.
The NTO hopes to inspire longer stays among Hong Kong travellers this year with mono-destination products, and the team will return to Hong Kong next month to help agents in the market develop new itineraries.
Barcelona Turisme has crafted ten themes to widen its marketing promotion and present the popular destination as a place with great variety. Besides nature, gastronomy and sports, which Barcelona is already known for, the tourism office is now dangling creativity, talent and innovation angles.
It is also pushing scientific tourism, luring travellers with seven scientific routes and visits to 46 research and technological development centres.
Mateo Asensio, promotion director with Barcelona Turisme, shared that the office has invested in digitalised marketing for the Hong Kong market. WeChat and Tiktok accounts have been established to convey Barcelona’s best.
It is also moving away from roadshows involving hundreds of attendees to focused gatherings that spotlight tailor-made products.
Asensio further shared that more public or private partnerships are being forged for destination promotions. Currently, Barcelona Turisme is collaborating with Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona; Turkish Airlines; and Barcelona Turisme for activations in Hong Kong.
But for Spain to claw back more Hong Kong travellers, air connectivity has to improve. Spain and Hong Kong are now only joined by a twice-weekly Hong Kong-Madrid service operated by Cathay Pacific, with a third service to come in July. There are still no direct flights between Hong Kong and Barcelona.
Sri Lanka’s tourism minister Harin Fernando has issued an apology for his comments on the Maldives made during a press briefing at ITB Berlin last week.
Speaking at the tradeshow, Fernando said Sri Lanka had much more to offer tourists than the Maldives.
Fernando’s opinion on the Maldives draws criticism (Source: Sri Lanka High Commission,London-UK)
“Maldives just has the beach – I’m not criticising – but you stay there for five days, you get fed up of it. That’s it. You’re just (on) an island, you are caught up in one place,” he said.
Following severe criticism of his opinion, Fernando tweeted: “My statement made in Berlin regarding the beautiful Maldive islands has been taken out of context and been misrepresented on social media. I wish to clarify that we work together with our neighbour on tourism and would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
Various Maldivian officers have responded to Fernando’s comments.
Maldives tourism minister Abdulla Mausoom, in a tweet, said the Maldives has been declared the world’s leading destination for the past four years including 2022. “Thanks to developers and service providers for making the Maldives simply the best and addictive,” he said.
Maldives parliamentarian Mohamed Shifau invited the Sri Lankan minister to visit his country and experience world-class hospitality.
Hong Kong Airlines will launch a four-times-weekly flight connecting Hong Kong and Fukuoka, Japan, from April 7, 2023.
Hong Kong Airlines takes off for Fukuoka four times a week
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, HX640 will depart Hong Kong at 10.25, and arrive in Fukuoka at 15.00. The return flight, HX641 will take off from Fukuoka at 16.00, and arrive back in Hong Kong at 18.35.
The company has also announced it would resume its five-times-weekly service to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and daily service to Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport starting from April 17.
China’s foreign ministry said today that it would restore the issuance of all types of visas from March 15 – signalling the country’s complete reopening to foreign tourists for the first time in three years since the pandemic.
Hainan (pictured) and other areas that were visa-free pre-pandemic will regain their accessibility
Areas in China that were visa-free pre-pandemic, such as Hainan and Guangdong (for foreigners from Hong Kong and Macau), will regain its accessibility.
The authorities also said it would honour visas issued before March 28, 2020 that are still within their validity dates.
Following the completion of renovations to its guestrooms and suites, Island Shangri-La has now launched a series of unique themed experiences for families.
Guests can chose from four themed experiences – Princess World, Space Travel, Safari Park and Northern Lights. The themes are conveyed through special decorations and an overhead projector, which help to transform the rooms into a magical wonderland for little children.
The newly renovated rooms and suites are available from HK$4,800+ (US$611.50) per night, which includes a complimentary hotel credit of up to HK$2,000 (depending on room type) and a free upgrade to a themed experience.
The massive earthquake that struck Turkey in February may not have led to country-wide destruction but it has resulted in some cancellations by worried travellers.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country’s central and southern regions – along with northern and western Syria – is said to be the deadliest in Turkey’s modern history due to its massive death toll of 48,000.
Turkey exhibits at ITB Berlin 2023
Turkey tourism sellers who turned up at ITB Berlin 2023 were eager to inform buyers and media representatives that the majority of their country is still safe to visit.
Aylin Ozsavas, CEO and owner, Fuego Travel, said 10 per cent of her bookings were cancelled as result of the news of the disaster. She emphasised that the media focus showered on the earthquake “is not good for Turkey and the travel sector”.
While Akay Travel Service has escaped from cancellations, spokesperson Alp Sargin told TTG Asia that that the number of reservations following the earthquake has declined slightly.
Sargin said: “The world has to know that the earthquake did not affect all of Turkey. Turkey has 81 cities, and there are many with no fault lines underneath, all of which are perfectly safe to visit.”
Ozsavas echoed: “We have so many other places to visit, like the Black Sea region, and Antalya.”
She added: “Tourism is incredibly important to Turkey, and we need tourists to return (so that some of the money) will flow towards the earthquake-hit region and help with its rebuilding.”
Ecehan Dolgun, spokesperson for Kusadasi Municipality, said the destination has suffered a handful of cancellations due to the earthquake. Fortunately, cruise ships have maintained port calls at Kusadasi, a major cruise port in the destination that serves as a jumping off point for travellers visiting Ephesus in Izmir Province.
Pointing to the map, Dolgun stressed: “Kusadasi is located very far away from the earthquake area. It’s on the western side of the country, nearer to Greece. It is very safe to visit.”
Indonesia’s state-owned tourism holding company, Injourney, is revamping its strategy to enhance the Indonesian tourism ecosystem’s appeal to international tourists.
In a significant shift, the company will move away from marketing-oriented tourism development to destination-focused tourism development.
Injourney will focus on creating more content through events like the MotoGP held in Mandalika last year
Injourney integrates all state-owned company subsidiaries related to tourism, with members such as Angkasa Pura I and II airport management, Hotel Indonesia Group, Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation, Borobudur Temple Tourism Park, Prambanan and Ratu Boko, and Sarinah Department Store.
Speaking at the Indonesia Tourism Outlook event in Jakarta, Dony Oskaria, the president director of Injourney, said the company’s new approach shifts the government’s focus from marketing to developing tourist destinations that offer unique experiences.
“In the next five years, there will be (more) destination developments, especially in super-priority destinations such as Danau Toba, Mandalika, Borobudur, Labuan Bajo, as well as in Bali,” he added.
For instance, Injourney plans to construct a 43-hectare medical tourism destination in Sanur, Bali which will comprise an international hospital, botanical garden and beach resort.
The international hospital will collaborate with renowned medical institutions worldwide, including the Mayo Clinic, a surgery clinic and retirement home, both from South Korea, a fertility clinic from Australia, and feature immunology technology from Japan.
Dony said that 1,000 hotel rooms and a convention hall which will “be the biggest hall in the Sanur area” will also be built.
Injourney is also revitalising several tourist attractions – the Indonesia in Miniature Park (TMII) in East Jakarta will become the Indonesia Opera, an amusement park representing Indonesia’s cultural diversity in a more interactive way and gives insight into the daily life of the indigenous people.
Furthermore, Injourney is shifting its paradigm on tourism products to focus on creating more content through sports events, culinary festivals, cultural festivals, and business events, as compared to the previous angle on natural beauty and cultural diversity. Examples include the F1 Boat Race on Lake Toba and the MotoGP held in Mandalika.
The company is also changing its mindset from an operations-based company to a service-based company, particularly at airports, where waiting time counts as a form of service, and the spirit of hospitality should reflect that of the Indonesian people.
Guests can chose from four themed experiences – Princess World, Space Travel, Safari Park and Northern Lights. The themes are conveyed through special decorations and an overhead projector, which help to transform the rooms into a magical wonderland for little children.
The Spanish Tourist Office has stepped up marketing efforts in Hong Kong, with a market research now underway to better understand what Hong Kong travellers want out of their post-lockdown holidays.
Speaking to TTG Asia during a recent trade partners engagement event, jointly hosted by the NTO and Barcelona Turisme, Ana Maria Lafuente Córdoba, counsellor for tourism South China, Hong Kong and Macau, said the study will also look into travel patterns.
The Spanish Tourist Office is also investing in a training guide to educate Spanish travel trade partners on the Hong Kong source market, with topics such as marketing how-to and product preferences. Furthermore, content on its online training platform, Spain Specialist Programe, has been renewed, and fam trips are in the works.
Córdoba revealed that fam trips for the press and travel agents are being planned for April/May and September/October respectively.
The NTO hopes to inspire longer stays among Hong Kong travellers this year with mono-destination products, and the team will return to Hong Kong next month to help agents in the market develop new itineraries.
Barcelona Turisme has crafted ten themes to widen its marketing promotion and present the popular destination as a place with great variety. Besides nature, gastronomy and sports, which Barcelona is already known for, the tourism office is now dangling creativity, talent and innovation angles.
It is also pushing scientific tourism, luring travellers with seven scientific routes and visits to 46 research and technological development centres.
Mateo Asensio, promotion director with Barcelona Turisme, shared that the office has invested in digitalised marketing for the Hong Kong market. WeChat and Tiktok accounts have been established to convey Barcelona’s best.
It is also moving away from roadshows involving hundreds of attendees to focused gatherings that spotlight tailor-made products.
Asensio further shared that more public or private partnerships are being forged for destination promotions. Currently, Barcelona Turisme is collaborating with Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona; Turkish Airlines; and Barcelona Turisme for activations in Hong Kong.
But for Spain to claw back more Hong Kong travellers, air connectivity has to improve. Spain and Hong Kong are now only joined by a twice-weekly Hong Kong-Madrid service operated by Cathay Pacific, with a third service to come in July. There are still no direct flights between Hong Kong and Barcelona.