A year of recovery in international passenger markets: AAPA

January 31, 2023

Preliminary traffic results for 2022 released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed robust recovery in international passenger markets after more than two years of prolonged lockdowns and strict border control measures that severely crippled demand.

In 2022, Asia-Pacific airlines carried a combined total of 105.4 million international passengers, compared to the 17.4 million passengers recorded in 2021. By December, international passengers carried climbed to 47.5% of pre-pandemic levels, a significant improvement from the 7% recorded in January.

The recovery of passenger demand is expected to progress further in 2023

Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) terms, international passenger demand rose by a strong 439% for the year. After accounting for a 144% expansion in available seat capacity, the average international passenger load factor jumped 39.9 percentage points higher to average 72.8% in 2022.

Subhas Menon, director general, AAPA, commented: “The release of pent-up travel demand drove a 507% annual increase in the number of passengers carried for the year. However, demand in 2022 averaged just 27% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels, underscoring the significant progress still required towards full recovery.”

Looking ahead, Menon said: “The outlook for 2023 is broadly positive, notably for passenger travel. The recovery of passenger demand is expected to progress further in the coming months, driven by strong appetite for travel.

“In particular, the recent easing of travel restrictions in China will further fuel demand, although the re-imposition of testing requirements for inbound travellers by some governments may somewhat slow down recovery in the shorter term.”

Book Me Bob AI chatbot heads to Asia to improve customer service

By Prudence Lui

January 31, 2023

0

Hospitality Host Co has brought Book Me Bob (BMB), an AI chatbot founded in New Zealand, to Asia to help hoteliers here sharpen their customer service amid manpower strains.

Created in 2019, BMB facilitates direct bookings for hotels and addresses guest enquiries at all times of the day. It is said to be suitable for all types of properties, and is presently supporting 80 clients.

Book Me Bob’s chatbot facilitates direct bookings for hotels and addresses guest enquiries throughout the day

Winnie Chui, managing director of Hospitality Host Co, said she has seen a spike in AI product interest among Asian hoteliers over the past three months, driven by the need to cope with returning international travellers while staffing constraints remain.

“Customers want instant communication,” Chui noted, adding that BMB can help with that.
‌
BMB is part of Microsoft’s Highway for 100 Unicorn programme in 2021. Its knowledge brain has more than 400,000 intents/questions that are related to hotels and resorts, and is continuously learning. It is programmed with 15 different languages, and can determine the local language based on the customer’s IP address.

BMB can make bookings, take payments, provide an e-commerce gift system, and suggest experiences to help the end-user select hotel rooms.

Hospitality Host Co offers hoteliers a 30-day renewable contract, with the flexibility to cancel anytime. Hoteliers need only to fork out a one-off setup fee and a monthly maintenance fee that is based on the hotel’s star offering and room inventory.

According to Chui, the cost of deploying BMB is just 10 per cent of an average staff salary and takes seven to 10 days to set up.

Hoteliers also have the flexibility to pair BMB with a human staff who will take over the final stretch of the purchase process to close the sale.

Communications are enhanced with BMB’s connection to services such as Facebook, Google Business, WeChat, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

As a sales conversion tool, BMB has been able to turn five to 10 per cent of AI chatbot conversations into bookings. As a “new channel for bookings”, Chui said BMB provides the quick response that travellers want.

Case studies conducted by Hospitality Host Co found that both front- and back-of-house operations have benefitted from BMB deployment. With telephone enquires cut by 20 to 30 per cent, staff can be freed up to handle other essential duties.

Diageo, EHL partner to elevate hospitality training programmes in Singapore

By TTG Asia

January 31, 2023

0

Beverage company Diageo is collaborating with EHL Hospitality Business School to develop the capabilities and careers of hospitality professionals in the luxury hospitality industry.

This is in line with Singapore’s refreshed Hotel Industry Transformation Map (2025 to encourage more locals to pursue hospitality careers.

Freri: forming a strong educational foundation for students looking to start and grow their careers in hospitality

The partnership includes an annual S$10,000 (US$7,611) scholarship fund contribution to EHL Campus (Singapore), access to industry insights and masterclasses from Diageo Bar Academy, a Student Business Project allowing students to work on real-world challenges, and internship opportunities at Diageo’s headquarters in Singapore.

Alexandre Freri, general manager, South-east Asia, JV & emerging markets, Diageo, who is also an EHL alumnus, said: “As we move forward towards our shared vision to build the next generation of hospitality leaders, this fruitful collaboration with EHL Hospitality Business School will ensure that we ‘Keep Walking’ by forming a strong educational foundation for students looking to start and grow their careers in hospitality.”

The scholarship fund will be extended to students through its Singapore Young Leaders Scholarship programme and Diversity and Excellence Scholarship programme respectively.

“We are privileged to work with leading luxury heritage brands from Diageo’s vast portfolio, that share our dedication for capacity building and developing the potential of future leaders in the luxury hospitality and service industry,” said Joshua Gan, regional director of Asia-Pacific at EHL.

Taipei to host biggest lantern festival in the world

By TTG Asia

January 31, 2023

0

The annual Taiwan Lantern Festival will return to Taipei from February 5 to 19 this year after 23 years of travelling around the country.

The three-week event will showcase Taiwan’s rich culture and arts through never-before-seen displays of lanterns and light shows.

The biggest lantern festival in the world returns to Taipei after 23 years (Photo: wu hsoung)

This year’s theme is Light Up the Future, which weaves the lantern exhibition seamlessly into the city’s streets and alleys. The exhibition area will cover 12 administrative districts in Taipei City with a total of more than 300 artworks and 53 interactive displays using innovative projections, AR, and VR technology.

Displaying the main lantern “Jubilee Rabbit” is Regent Taipei in Zhongshan District, located next to the Wenchang Temple. The hotel will also launch a special lantern festival room package which includes a limited edition 2023 Taiwan Lantern Festival Easy Card for guests to visit the 168-hectare Taiwan Lantern Festival.

AirAsia to launch Don Mueang-Mae Sot service this March

By TTG Asia

January 31, 2023

0

AirAsia is adding a Don Mueang-Mae Sot (Tak) flight to its domestic network with the aim to bridge trade between Thailand and Myanmar (Mae Sot-Myawaddy) and provide a boost to tourism.

AirAsia will add a Don Mueang-Mae Sot service from March 1

From March 1, the one-hour flight will be available three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Discover new experiences at Anantara Resorts in Sri Lanka

By TTG Asia

January 31, 2023

0

Two Anantara properties in Sri Lanka are inviting holidaymakers to dive into new experiences centred on spirituality and cultural pursuits.

Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort situated along Sri Lanka’s southern coast is featuring an all-inclusive three-day Sanjeewana Ayurvedic Journey where guests will embark on an immersive programme combining spa therapies, beach walks with the resort’s Nature Guru, temple meditation and bonfire mindfulness sessions under the guidance of a monk and a yogi, as well as Sri Lankan cooking classes and wood-oven baking sessions. The Sanjeewana Ayurvedic Journey is priced from US$1,111 and includes a room for two and daily meals.

Experience the Sanjeewana Ayurvedic Journey at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort in Sri Lanka

Located only an hour from the Bandaranaike International Airport, Anantara Kalutara Resort is offering a stay package starting from US$248 per night for two, which includes daily breakfast and up to 15 per cent savings on activities. Guests can also enjoy a Ceylonese dinner featuring locally-caught seafood, Ceylon teas and traditional desserts while seated in a rustic treehouse perched above the river with the exclusive Treehouse Dining experience, priced from US$60 per person.

Both offers are valid for stays until October 31, with additional savings available to GHA Discovery members.

For more information, visit Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort or Anantara Kalutara Resort.

Tourism Australia promotes Karen Saw to country manager Malaysia

By TTG Asia

January 31, 2023

0

Karen Saw has been promoted to country manager Malaysia, where she will take the lead in driving Tourism Australia’s local market strategy.

In her new role, Saw is responsible for aligning the marketing and promotion of Australian tourism in Malaysia with Tourism Australia’s strategy, driving tactical conversion with aviation and distribution partners to target leisure consumers and business events opportunities, as well as working closely with key stakeholders to develop products and experiences that drive tourism growth into Australia from Malaysia.

She joined Tourism Australia in 2009, and was most recently business development manager.

China’s reopening to boost tourism in Asia-Pacific

By S Puvaneswary

January 30, 2023

0

Chinese-group-in-Takayama — Japan braces ; A Chinese tour group visiting Takayama pictured

Chinese outbound travel to Asia-Pacific countries is expected to reach close to 2019 arrival numbers by the end of the year and reach new heights beyond 2019 levels from 2024 onwards – adding momentum to the tourism recovery in the region.

Haiyan Song, associate dean at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, shared a three-year visitor forecast by the university in partnership with Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) using econometric models and expert panel adjustments.

China’s outbound travel will boost the tourism recovery in Asia-Pacific; a Chinese travel group visiting Japan pictured

Based on the forecast, Chinese outbound travel to Asia-Pacific will reach close to 2019 levels which is 61.8 million Chinese travellers by end-2023, and exceed 2019 levels in 2024 by 133.5 per cent if there are no or few barriers to travel, and grow further in 2025 to 152.5 per cent over 2019.

Based on the severity of barriers to travel such as government policies, inflation and air capacity among others, the forecast of growth in 2025 over 2019 is lower at either 121.7 per cent or 96.5 per cent.

Song named Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Thailand and South Korea as the top five beneficiaries of Chinese outbound travel in 2025, similar to Chinese outbound travel in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

The major beneficiaries of Chinese outbound travel in the short term are short- and medium-haul destinations, shared OAG’s regional sales director, Mayur Patel. He noted that outbound travel from China is expected to ramp up from the second quarter especially around the Labour Day public holidays.

He also expected Chinese and Asian airlines to build their capacity over the coming months, resulting in more inbound and outbound travel to/ from China.

Both Song and Mayur were speakers in a webinar organised by PATA on January 26 entitled How would the opening of China impact on demand for tourism.

Another speaker, Caroline Bremner, head of travel research, Euromonitor International, opined that while Asia-Pacific was slower to open up after the height of the pandemic, the reopening of China will bring travel and tourism back in the region.

She said: “It’s really exciting to see how that’s going to develop going forward, especially as more capacity is put in the market.”

She also cautioned that the slowing down of the global economy and high inflation will impact consumers, and the rising costs of ground and air travel will pose a challenge to tourism businesses in general.

Chinese arrivals return to top 10 spot for the Maldives

By TTG Asia

January 30, 2023

0

Within a week of resumption of direct air connectivity between China and the Maldives on January 18, Chinese tourist arrivals to the destination jumped to the top 10 source markets for the year.

The first flight carrying Chinese tourists to the Maldives since 2020 was operated by Beijing Capital Airlines from Beijing.

Chinese tourists on the first flight to the Maldives were met with a welcome reception and gift pack

Since then, China has swiftly risen to the eighth top source market spot, with 2,727 arrivals as of January 22. This number is expected to rise further as nations around the world prepare for an influx of Chinese travellers during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

On January 28, China Southern Airlines resumed flying once a week from Guangzhou to the Maldives.

Other airlines to begin direct flights to the Maldives include China Eastern Airlines flying twice weekly from Shanghai starting from February 4, and Hong Kong Airlines from Hong Kong in May.

Utah woos India with new training platform

By Rohit Kaul

January 30, 2023

0

Utah Office of Tourism has stepped up its trade and consumer efforts in India by organising its first standalone tourism missions in the market from January 16 to 20, covering the cities of Mumbai and New Delhi.

With the pandemic situation improved, the tourism body aims to engage with Indian travel trade and media, as well as create awareness about the destination.

Bremer: travel agents here are ready to expand beyond East and West Coast of the US

Plans for the market include working with social media influencers, strengthening digital presence with OTAs, hosting fam trips for travel agents, and launching B2B as well as B2C marketing campaigns.

Rachel Bremer, global markets director, Utah Office of Tourism, shared: “Our interactions with travel agents have been positive. Travel agents here are ready to expand beyond East and West Coast of the US and sell more immersive and outdoor products, like Utah.”

In February, it will also introduce a new training platform, Utah Specialist Academy, for Indian travel agents, giving them an opportunity to be certified as Utah specialists and promote experiences like road trips, skiing and national parks to the Indian market.

Apart from leisure, luxury, and visiting friends and relatives, it is also targeting the Indian business events segment.

“We are looking to host incentive groups of 50 to 100 pax in strength. We have some interesting lodges that can host archery or horse riding for team-building activities. Incentive groups can also enjoy hiking in our national parks,” added Bremer.

A year of recovery in international passenger markets: AAPA

Book Me Bob AI chatbot heads to Asia to improve customer service

Diageo, EHL partner to elevate hospitality training programmes in Singapore

Taipei to host biggest lantern festival in the world

AirAsia to launch Don Mueang-Mae Sot service this March

Discover new experiences at Anantara Resorts in Sri Lanka

Tourism Australia promotes Karen Saw to country manager Malaysia

China’s reopening to boost tourism in Asia-Pacific

Chinese arrivals return to top 10 spot for the Maldives

Utah woos India with new training platform

Tried and Tested

Knai Bang Chatt by Kep West

What to Buy Now

Star Navigator to sail to Okinawa from Kaohsiung in January 2026