Alma Resort in Vietnam has promoted Vu Thi Huong Giang as resort manager.
Born and bred in nearby Nha Trang, Giang graduated from Nha Trang University with a major in food processing and started her career in 2004 as a waitress at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, where she steadily climbed the career ladder over a decade to become an F&B manager.
She has also worked for Vinpearl Land and Mia Resort in Nha Trang, and was the F&B director at The Anam, before moving to Alma in the same capacity. She was subsequently promoted to executive assistant manager of F&B.
In her new role, the resort’s executive chef, executive assistant manager of rooms, assistant director of F&B and the recreation manager report to her.
Tripadvisor, in partnership with Ipsos MORI, have released a new travel trends research paper on how consumers are planning to travel in 2022 and beyond, and how their attitudes and behaviours in relation to travel have changed as compared to pre-pandemic.
While outside factors like Covid-19 variants, international travel rules and staffing shortages still can represent existential threats to traveller behaviours, year-end sentiment and search data shows ongoing demand for travel remains high.
In 2022, majority of Singaporeans plan to travel domestically for leisure, rather than going abroad, finds study
Who benefits from the tourism demand? As travellers spend more, cultural experience providers (tours and attractions), tourism businesses catering to domestic audiences and companies adhering to safety standards will win the hearts and minds of travellers.
“Despite new variants of Covid-19, consumers across the globe still want to travel and explore. This is evident in our month-over-month search data which shows a consistent, healthy increase in page views post-holidays,” said Kanika Soni, chief commercial officer, Tripadvisor, Inc. “Travellers are quickly adapting to local public health conditions, with cleanliness and safety remaining important factors in their planning.”
Unsurprisingly, the report continues to show that the pandemic weighs on the minds of people across the countries featured in this study. The good news is that reported travel intent for 2022 compared with 2019 and analysis of planned average trip spend show prospects for a strong year ahead in the hospitality industry.
Key findings from the study include:
Planned travel in 2022 surpasses actual travel in 2019
○ Across the five key markets around the world that were surveyed, those likely to travel for leisure purposes in 2022 outpaces pre-pandemic reported travel levels.
○ In the UK, 78% of respondents said that they are likely to travel for leisure in 2022, compared to 72% of those who said that they travelled for leisure in 2019.
○ In the US, 2022 leisure travel intent is up 8 percentage points (pp) compared to 2019, with 71% saying they are likely to travel for leisure in 2022.
○ Singapore leads the way in travel optimism, with 82% reporting they are likely to vacation in 2022, up 2pp compared to 2019. Australia (72%) and Japan (51%) are trending similarly, with those who are planning a leisure trip in 2022 up 7pp and 5pp from those who reported travelling in 2019, respectively.
Average spend per trip for 2022 is beyond that of 2019, as travellers look to level up their travel experience
○ According to Tripadvisor site behavioural data, American travellers are expected to spend 29% more on their average trip in 2022 than they did in 2019.
○ In Australia, average booking rates are expected to be up by 16% in 2022 against 2019.
○ Singaporean travellers booking values are also expected to increase by an average of 7%.
○ On the other end of the spectrum, the average Japanese traveller is expecting to spend 30% less in 2022 compared with 2019. In Italy, average booking spend is expected to be down 19%. While in the UK, Brits are planning to spend slightly less on 2022 travel than they did in 2019 (-1%).
○ Shifting from behaviour to sentiment, over a quarter of travellers in each of the five markets surveyed said it is more important now than before the pandemic to splurge on a big trip. In the US, roughly three in 10 Americans (29%) who travelled for leisure in 2019 said it’s more important now than before the pandemic to splurge on a big trip. Twenty-eight per cent of Singaporean and Australian travellers, 27% of Japanese travellers and 25% of UK travellers said the same.
Domestic travel continues to lead the way
○ While a sizable proportion of consumers across most of the markets surveyed plan to travel abroad for leisure in 2022, travelling within their home country is still the most favoured option.
○ Seventy-four per cent of Singaporean respondents plan to travel domestically for leisure, compared with 53% who plan to travel abroad for leisure. Seventy-three per cent of Brits say they plan to travel within the UK for leisure compared with 48% planning to travel abroad.
○ In the US and in Australia, 68% of respondents in each market said they are likely to travel domestically in 2022, while 29% of Americans said they are likely to travel overseas in 2022 compared to 38% of Australians.
○ In Japan, 50% of Japanese respondents reported that they are likely to travel within their home country in 2022, compared to 10% of those likely to travel internationally.
Travellers are seeking new travel experiences in 2022 and beyond
○ More than a third to nearly half of all travellers surveyed in the US (41%), UK (38%), Australia (46%), Japan (34%) and Singapore (49%) said that travelling to a destination they’ve never been to before would be more important to them now, compared to trips they took in 2019, when choosing where to travel.
○ Three-quarters (75%) of Americans said that it’s important they “see new places” when thinking about their future travel plans, 74% of Australians, 73% of Singaporeans, 70% of Britons and over half (59%) in Japan said the same.
○ The top three most important considerations, across the markets surveyed, in future travel plans to visit a destination, was to get immersive by seeing new places, having new experiences and learning about history and culture.
○ Forty-four per cent of Singaporean travellers, 38% of Australians and a third (34%) of Americans and UK travellers respectively said that it’s more important now than before the pandemic that they choose a destination where they can immerse themselves in “authentic local experiences”. A quarter (25%) of Japanese travellers said the same.
○ In both the US and Australia, 30% of travellers said it’s more important now that they “pack as many activities” into their holiday travel as possible. While in the UK, 28% said it’s more important for them to plan an action-packed travel experience in 2022 or beyond.
○ About two in 10 travellers in each of the five markets surveyed said they will do more guided cultural activities – those activities and tours where subject matter experts and professional guides allow for travellers to sit back, learn, relax, and see all that an area has to offer – when planning trips in 2022 or beyond than before the pandemic (except in Japan where this proportion was 14%).
Covid-19 case counts, safety protocols, quarantine restrictions, and cleanliness are all key factors in travel decision making in 2022
○ Eighty-five per cent of Singaporean travellers, nearly three-quarters of Japanese (73%) and Australian (74%) travellers, 72% of British and 70% of Americans say that cleanliness measures of a hospitality business will be an important factor in their travel decision making next year, even after Covid-19 cases have dropped worldwide.
○ Approximately seven in 10 respondents in each of the markets said that destinations that have a low number of Covid-19 cases are important when making a decision on where to travel next.
○ One-third of the Brits (32%) and Americans (33%) who aren’t travelling next year said they’ve decided against it because of uncertainty surrounding possible travel restrictions. Over half (55%) of Singaporeans, 47% of Australians and a quarter (25%) of Japanese respondents cited the same reason.
The 2022 travel trends report can be viewed in full here.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE), in collaboration with Jejak.in, has launched the Carbon Footprint Calculator (CFPC) platform, which educates the travelling public on their carbon emissions generated during their travels, and ways to offset them.
Jejak.in is a platform assisting businesses to plan, implement and monitor their conservation programmes with AI- and IoT-based solutions.
Indonesia’s tourism ministry fights climate change with new carbon offsetting platform
The CFPC initiative, which can be accessed via the ministry’s Indonesia.travel page, is part of the authority’s quality and sustainable tourism development programme. In the first phase, the ministry is inviting the public to offset their carbon footprints with tree planting.
Speaking during the launch event, Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy, said he expects the CFPC will improve the reputation of Indonesian tourism and encourage the public to make their travels more climate-friendly.
Stressing the importance of addressing environmental issues, he said: “Although (the ministry does) not have a dedicated sustainability department, sustainability must be embedded in all tourism and creative economic activities. We will make sure that this becomes a national movement to overcome the various crises caused by climate change and to achieve sustainable tourism.”
Noting that tourism contributed eight per cent to carbon emissions globally, Sandiaga invited the travelling community to take note of their carbon footprints when they travel through the usage of CFPC.
Arfan Arlanda, CEO of Jejak.in, expects that the programme will significantly support the fight against climate change and help achieve Indonesia’s emission reduction targets.
“I hope that this initiative can be implemented by all tourism industry practitioners to achieve a huge impact for the country,” he said.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi has used the pandemic downtime last year to enhance its offerings in hopes of drawing well-heeled family holidaymakers and increasing their average length of stay.
Currently, the average length of stay is 1.5 days for a domestic tourist, and 7.2 days for an international tourist.
Eco-Discovery Centre educates guests on the island’s rich marine biodiversity
A new addition to the 119-key resort is its 85.26m² Eco-Discovery Centre which dives into the underwater world of Langkawi. Among features within the facility is the sea cucumber reproduction project, where visitors can learn how the sea cucumber plays a valuable role in the marine ecosystem of Langkawi, and the importance of its preservation.
Another new attraction is Teratak Mahsuri, an alfresco cabana by the ocean, where guests can reconnect with nature.
To enhance the guest experience, the resort also includes a surprise element upon check-in, such as gifting children below the age of 12 with an activity bag.
With the revamp, the resort is targeting Gen Y vacationers travelling with young children from both domestic and international markets, shared the hotel’s director of sales and marketing, Zulkifli Rahman.
However, he is banking more on the domestic market through 3Q2022 as the reopening of the island to fully vaccinated travellers since September has only seen “insignificant” number of arrivals from the traditional markets in Europe such as the UK, Scandinavia, and Germany, partly due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.
Last year, the domestic market accounted for 97 per cent of total guest volume, but Zulkifli hopes that by 4Q2022, the ratio of domestic to foreign guests will be more balanced.
Plans to attract Gen Y travellers include social media engagements to promote the resort’s offerings and outdoorsy activities. The resort will also work with travel partners on special tactical campaigns from time to time.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have launched a new digital aviation corporate laboratory, which will co-create innovative technologies and solutions that would accelerate the digital transformation of Singapore’s aviation sector, and help redefine the air travel experience for passengers.
The SIA-NUS Digital Aviation Corporate Laboratory, which is a S$45 million (US$33.2 million) research facility jointly set up by SIA and NUS and supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore, is situated at the Innovation 4.0 Building at NUS Kent Ridge campus.
The US$33.2 million facility will develop solutions in digital services and revenue management, among others
In a joint media release, the companies said that the launch of the corporate laboratory “comes at an opportune time as the global aviation industry tackles the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic”.
“An acceleration of its digital transformation programme will help to keep SIA vibrant and nimble, and contribute towards the development of a digital aviation and travel technology community in Singapore,” they added.
SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong said: “By bringing together NUS’ wealth of research expertise and SIA’s knowledge and experience in the aviation sector, this corporate laboratory will strengthen our position at the forefront of digital innovation in the airline industry.
“It will lead to even more innovative solutions that can enhance the customer experience and travel journey, optimise revenue generation, and increase operational efficiency. Our collaboration with NUS will also reinforce Singapore’s position as a global aviation hub, with world-class research and cutting-edge technologies at the heart of our future development.”
The objectives of the corporate laboratory are to drive traveller-centric digital services, ensure security and safety in air travel, and enhance organisational effectiveness and workplace productivity for SIA and Singapore’s aviation sector.
Featuring state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, such as a cabin simulator and a cockpit simulator with augmented reality and virtual reality technologies, the corporate laboratory will embark on research activities in the following areas: revenue management and dynamic pricing, transforming competency and skill development, and employee wellness.
It will also focus on developing real environment cabin simulators to enhance customers’ comfort and sleep qualities, as well as developing specifications of new product and service protocols for enhanced customer service.
Over the next five years, the corporate laboratory expects to train more than 70 researchers and PhD students, who will play a critical role in fostering a resilient and long-term research and development, and engineering talent pipeline for Singapore’s aviation industry.
Despite continued travel and tourism challenges, global hotel wholesaler DidaTravel has seen B2B hotel sales rebound to 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2021 while expanding its clientele and contracted hotel network.
According to the Shenzhen-headquartered company, sales from non-China markets have surpassed 2019 levels and half of overall business now hails from Europe, the US and the Middle East.
DidaTravel has seen business rebound and expansion of both supply and client networks in 2021
Its collection of contracted hotels has also expanded to 37,000, up 23 per cent, while its travel trade clientele now numbers some 23,000 including new signings from Europe and North America. The company has acquired over 700 API clients, of which around 200 are based in China.
Commenting on the company’s 2021 performance, DidaTravel’s founder & CEO Rikin Wu said in a press statement: “Throughout the pandemic, we continued investing in our business, strengthening our technology and continuing our long-term strategy of growing our presence in Europe and North America.
“So, when the market slowly began recovering in Europe and North America, we were well placed to capture demand quickly. By the end of the year (2021), with the exception of the Omicron impact, we were close to 2019 figures – surpassing them even in the non-China source markets.”
Wu remained “cautiously confident about 2022”, and indicated further expansion announcements to come.
DidaTravel’s geographical diversification of sales presence has seen office openings in Bangkok and London last year, with plans for a US office in the near future. There are presently eight offices worldwide.
With inbound travel to Malaysia still largely restricted, tour and travel suppliers in the country are continuing their innovation streak by developing new products for a discerning local market, including off-the-beaten-path adventures, thematic tours and all-inclusive packages.
While bookings have started coming in ahead of the Chinese New Year period, operators expect them to peak closer to the season, as local holidaymakers tend to make last-minute bookings.
Soft adventure activities in Mulu National Park (above) among new tourism offerings by local travel agencies
Apple Vacations & Conventions, which specialised in comprehensive outbound tours to Japan pre-pandemic, has replicated that tour concept for its Penang packages catering to its main base of customers from the Klang Valley.
In Penang, the company has hired experts to lead tours of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and take guests to unique dining venues. Meanwhile, in Sabah and Sarawak, it is promoting soft adventure activities in remote but pristine areas such as the Kinabatangan River and Mulu National Park.
The agency chose to market these destinations as they are “not easily accessible,” shared managing director Koh Yock Heng.
He explained that the logistics of getting to those destinations involving more than one flight would likely deter travellers from the Klang Valley from visiting those places on their own and instead opt for a travel agency. Koh also cited less competition as another reason for promoting those areas.
Alex Lee, CEO, Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours, said his company will launch this week thematic packages for tours in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang, catering to small groups of up to eight people.
Themes include Peranakan culture in Terengganu and Kelantan; as well as the Langkasuka Trail, which showcases the cultural and historical elements left behind by the ancient Malay Hindu-Buddhist kingdom of Langkasuka in Terengganu.
He said response to these tours promoted on social media since early this year has been “encouraging”, especially from families living in the Klang Valley who are interested in culture and history.
The tours were created to be family-friendly and educational as Lee believed offering such niche tours would give the company an edge over its competition.
Meanwhile, Ice Holidays is promoting all-inclusive, fixed departure packages with hotel accommodation and diverse activities in Langkawi, Semporna and Perhentian Island.
The company is targeting city dwellers from the Klang Valley for the island getaways, said Adam Kamal, head of procurement & domestic market.
The north-eastern Indian state of Assam is looking to promote lesser-known destinations and products in the state to increase tourist arrivals and expand its tourism ambit.
Presently, the tourism in the state is mainly centred around Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Kamakhaya Temple and Majuli – a river island in the Brahmaputra River.
Baruah: Assam to promote lesser-known destinations and new products to sustain interest in domestic travel
“The infrastructure including road and railway network has improved across the state, offering much better connectivity. In the current pandemic times, our focus is mainly on domestic tourism and we want tourists to discover unexplored experiences that the region offers,” said Rituparna Baruah, chairman, Assam Tourism Development Corporation, while speaking to TTG Asia on the sidelines of North East Festival that concluded last week in Guwahati.
“Keeping this in mind, we are developing places like Deepor Beel, a freshwater lake, for tourism purposes. We plan to construct a bird watch tower and introduce houseboats on the water body. Already, Rs 130 million (US$1.7 million) has been sanctioned for the beautification of the lake.”
Deepor Beel lake at Guwahati is currently being developed for tourism purposes
Other tourism products the state is keen to promote include village tours; tea gardens of Dibrugarh, some of which also house heritage bungalows and golf courses; besides places like Dima Hasao that is the home to Haflong, the only hill station in Assam, and Bendao Baiglai Waterfalls.
Recently, vistadome coaches have been introduced in the train route between the state capital Guwahati and Haflong. The vistadome coaches offer panoramic views of the mountains, thanks to its glass-fitted ceilings and big window panels.
“Assam has many vibrant villages where festivities take place around the year. The oil city of Assam, Digboi, has the oldest oil well in operation in the entire Asia. North Guwahati has many archeological sites of British era. We hope that tourists would include tours of these places in their itineraries,” said Shreya Barbara, CEO, Landscape Safari Tours & Travels.
With the aim to promote its lesser-known experiences, the tourism department is planning to organise roadshows in New Delhi and Mumbai in the near future.
“We will also organise roadshows in international markets once the pandemic situation improves,” added Baruah.
Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) has signed an agreement with Amadeus to make its schedules and fares available to travel agencies worldwide via the Amadeus Travel Platform in 1Q2022, to coincide with the expected commencement of flights.
Amadeus-connected travel sellers will be able to search, book and service reservations on GBA. Through the Amadeus Travel Platform, they will gain access to the airline’s flight schedules, load changes, seat maps, ancillary services and fare families as well as real-time flight updates.
Greater Bay Airlines expands its growth across Asia-Pacific with Amadeus
These options will empower travel sellers to tailor offerings to their customers’ specific requirements, generating more value for both customer and airline.
GBA has applied for the rights to operate in 104 destinations across the region, including mainland China, as well as North and South-east Asia. The carrier has already leased three Boeing 737-800 aircraft and plans to grow its fleet to 30 aircraft over the next five years.
Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) has signed an agreement with Amadeus to make its schedules and fares available to travel agencies worldwide via the Amadeus Travel Platform in 1Q2022, to coincide with the expected commencement of flights.
Amadeus-connected travel sellers will be able to search, book and service reservations on GBA. Through the Amadeus Travel Platform, they will gain access to the airline’s flight schedules, load changes, seat maps, ancillary services and fare families as well as real-time flight updates.
These options will empower travel sellers to tailor offerings to their customers’ specific requirements, generating more value for both customer and airline.
GBA has applied for the rights to operate in 104 destinations across the region, including mainland China, as well as North and South-east Asia. The carrier has already leased three Boeing 737-800 aircraft and plans to grow its fleet to 30 aircraft over the next five years.