Sabre debuts personalised retailing suite for airlines
Sabre Corporation has released the first two products in the company’s Retail Intelligence suite – Sabre Air Price IQ and Sabre Ancillary IQ for the dynamic pricing of airfare and ancillaries, respectively.
Powered by Sabre Travel AI, which integrates Sabre technology with Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology and advanced machine-learning services, Retail Intelligence enables airlines to dynamically provide offers to travellers based on preferences, marketplace insights and purchase probability.
Sabre Travel AI is a creation of the Sabre + Google Innovation Framework, formed through Sabre’s strategic partnership with Google.
“We are facing a rapidly changing world and the travel ecosystem looks very different than it did just 18 months ago,” said Wade Jones, chief product officer, Sabre Travel Solutions.
“Traveller expectations for relevant and personalised offers are growing, and airlines are more focused than ever on becoming sophisticated retailers. Relying on traditional strategies based on historical data patterns isn’t enough – airlines need intelligent solutions driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning. This is what we are offering with Sabre’s Retail Intelligence suite of products.”
Sabre Air Price IQ increases airlines’ pricing agility and precision by allowing airlines to adapt quickly to changing marketplace conditions. Considering traveller segment and trip intent from the shopping request, the product supports an airline’s efforts to maximise revenue opportunities while providing a seamless experience to travellers.
Sabre Ancillary IQ uses machine learning to present ancillary offers based on multiple factors, including real-time shopping data and purchase probability to increase incremental revenue opportunities and traveller satisfaction. As a result, airlines can deliver increased value and more choice to their travellers.
The products are expected to boost airlines’ incremental revenue by up to three per cent when combined with upcoming products being added to the Retail Intelligence suite in 2022.
Sundar Narasimhan, president, Sabre Labs and Product Strategy, said: “As travel retailing becomes more complex to meet increasingly sophisticated consumer expectations, the rules-based technology in use across the industry today will no longer deliver satisfactory results.
“To truly modernise travel retailing, the industry requires intelligent systems that allow for continuous learning and scaling at speed. At Sabre, we are focused on equipping our customers with those AI-based solutions that will modernise the way we shop, book and experience travel, delivering incremental value for our customers and the travellers they serve.”
Sabre and Google are developing other innovative new technology that delivers modern, data-driven, omni-channel solutions that enable highly personalised traveller experiences.
Blazing a trail
As one of the first tourist destinations in the world to relax entry requirements to facilitate tourism recovery, the Maldives has led a shining example in a post-pandemic world of travel and tourism.
With the Maldives’ golden jubilee of tourism coming up in 2022, the destination will continue to bask in the spotlight. A series of activities are lined up to celebrate the milestone, with marketing efforts kicking off in November 2021.
Thoyyib Mohamed, managing director of the state-run Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), said consistent destination development and marketing have established Maldives as a fierce competitor on the global travel market.
Despite travel challenges, the MMPRC has maintained aggressive marketing and ensured presence in several international trade fairs and roadshows.
Numerous partnerships have also been struck in 2021 to drive travel bookings. From July 2021 until June 2022, Visit Maldives and Qatar Airways will jointly promote the destination as a safe-haven for travellers from Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. With travel portal TripZilla, Visit Maldives will ensure that the destination remains top-of-mind among South-east Asian travellers.
In the year ahead, MMPRC will focus on courting the millennials, which make up 40 per cent of the global travel market. According to the Maldives Visitor Survey, nearly half of the visitors to the Maldives are below the age of 35 years, with 60 per cent of them discovering the destination on the Internet.
“This is an opportune time for the Maldives to reap the benefits of these trends by identifying our strengths, and refining our approach,” he said.
While the Maldives has first-mover advantage in courting travellers in the post-pandemic era, Dilip Rajakariar, CEO of Minor Hotels Group, warned that 2022 would be a competitive year as many other destinations reopen to global tourism.
Having said that, Rajakariar expects a “solid year” for the Maldives, building on the strong demand seen in 2021.
Most of the destination’s 200-plus resorts are open for business, and expectations are high that the target of 1.2 million arrivals will be met in 2021. The Maldives has set a 1.5 million arrivals target for 2022.
Indonesia relaxes more international entry requirements
The Indonesia government has announced further easing of entry restrictions for international travellers, and will add facilities to improve the quarantine experience for visitors.
Fully vaccinated travellers may now enter the country with a negative PCR test results, and serve a shortened quarantine period of three days instead of five as well as take a mandatory PCR test on the last day of their isolation.
Travellers with only one shot of vaccine will be required to undergo five days of isolation and a mandatory PCR test on the fourth day of their quarantine.
In addition, the government has teamed up with the Association of Leisure Boats Network to offer the Live on Board (LOB) programme for fully vaccinated travellers to utilise during their quarantine, revealed Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy.
Some 38 boats have signed up for the programme.
Rizki Handayani, deputy of tourism products and MICE, said the boats are checked to ensure they abide by Indonesia’s Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability protocols.
She added that with the LOB programme, travellers may cruise around during their quarantine. Disembarkation will only be allowed when they present negative PCR test results on the last day of their quarantine.
Sharing further insights on the government’s plans to restart tourism, Sandiaga said his office has proposed travel lanes with eight more low-risk countries – Austria, Australia, Denmark, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Russia, the Netherlands, and Germany – to benefit Bali.
Besides entry via the airport, preparations are underway to establish Bali’s Benoa harbour as an international gateway.
Elsewhere in the country, the harbours of Batam and Bintan are also being prepared to facilitate international arrivals via cruises and yachts.
Commenting on the latest announcements, Jongki Adiyasa, executive director of Ina Leisure Tour and Travel, said the combination of a shortened quarantine with the LOB programme “made sense” and is “saleable”, but added that enforcement of safety protocol onboard is questionable.
Accor sets out to fill over 1,200 vacancies in Australia, New Zealand
Hospitality company Accor has launched a new talent attraction programme, Work Your Way, to bolster its workforce as Australia and New Zealand gear up for a tourism rebound.
More than 1,200 jobs will be available at most of its 400 hotels across the two countries, as Accor seeks to expand its current workforce of 18,000 team members by up to 15 per cent over the coming months.
The Work Your Way programme is said to have some revolutionary features, such as same-day hire opportunities for frontline roles; personalised benefits, where each hotel will offer additional perks based on their location and team preference, including travel allowances, birthday leave and sabbaticals; open pathways to travel and work around the region; advanced career development through the Accor Academy; and flexible work arrangements for all staff.
Accor Pacific CEO, Simon McGrath, said: “The hospitality industry has an exciting future ahead, and our guests are telling us that they cannot wait to start travelling again. As domestic, and soon international tourists, flock back to hotels and restaurants across Australia and New Zealand, the industry needs talented individuals who wish to build a rewarding career.”
Explaining the nature of the Work Your Way programme, Accor Pacific senior vice president talent & culture, Sarah Derry, said: “Lives and dreams don’t always fit neatly around working hours and current roles – that’s why we’ve introduced Work Your Way at Accor.
“We recognise that greater flexibility in the workplace creates a fulfilling and inclusive team member experience where our team can contribute in a healthy, stimulating and productive way, while advancing their career with the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand.”
Japan plans for reopening but holds breath on tourist entry
The Japanese government is expected to reopen international borders to transient business travellers and visitors arriving for education and technical training as soon as this month, according to a report by Nikkei.
Tourists will be excluded in the initial immigration policy change, which has been in place since January 2021 to curb the spread of more-contagious coronavirus variants.
The quarantine requirement for short-term business travellers will be reduced from 10 days to just three, although companies and organisations will be required to monitor the activities of their foreign guests.
The shorter quarantine requirement will also apply to Japanese nationals returning from business trips abroad.
According to Nikkei, Tokyo is prepared to reimpose tighter controls quickly if new variants emerge overseas.
Garuda Indonesia teeters close to bankruptcy
The Indonesian government has prepared contingency plans to rescue the embattled national carrier Garuda Indonesia, including an option to liquidise the airline should restructuring programmes fail.
According to various news reports, Pelita Air Service, a subsidiary of state-owned oil company Pertamina, could take over Garuda’s domestic routes should liquidation be inevitable.
Kartiko Wirjoatmodjo, deputy minister of State-Owned Enterprises, said that the debt negotiations and restructuring was underway with all lenders, aircraft lessors, and global sukuk (syariah bond) holders.
“Should the restructuring fail, we have no other option but to close it and find a new (national flag carrier) as it is impossible for (the government) to inject capital with such debt value,” he added.
Facing its worst crisis since its inception in 1947, Garuda’s debts have hit 70 trillion rupiah (US$4.9 billion) and may continue to increase by one trillion rupiah each month due to continued delays in payments to suppliers.
Garuda’s May 2021 financial report showed that the airline only earned about US$56 million, while the aircraft rental was US$56 million, aircraft maintenance, US$20 million; fuel, US$20 million; and salaries, US$20 million.
The airline is negotiating terms with aircraft lessors and is talking with banks and business partners to restructure its loans, as part of a suspension of debt payment obligation process, where the entire stock of debt will be subject to negotiation.
Apart from piling up debts, Garuda is facing a number of civil lawsuits from lessors due to its failure to pay rent. Meanwhile, its inability to pay sukuk totalling US$500 million also resulted in its trading suspension from the Indonesia Stock Exchange since June.
The financial pressure on the airline will intensify amid mounting losses, especially given the pandemic’s enduring impact on the aviation industry.
Besides renegotiation, Garuda has also restructured its management to improve its business performance. The airline has laid off 2,300 employees, streamlined its management team, and implemented pay cuts. It has also returned 20 planes and is negotiating to return 101 more aircraft, which will leave the carrier with a fleet size of 42.
Irfan Setiaputra, president of Garuda, said: “We have to go through a total restructuring, (otherwise) the company could face sudden termination.”
Artotel to rebrand Vue Palace Hotel in Bandung
An Artotel property is set to open in the city centre of Bandung city, West Java next year, following the rebranding of Vue Palace Hotel.
Artotel Group has signed a MoU with a public company on behalf of PT Planet Properindo Jaya Tbk to transform the four-star Vue Palace Hotel into an Artotel branded mid-scale boutique hotel.
In operation since 2008, Vue Palace Hotel features 102 guestrooms, alongside a restaurant and bar, swimming pool, fitness centre, spa, and a 350-pax capacity meeting room.
In 2022, Vue Palace Hotel will undergo a name change to Artotel Vue Palace – Bandung, and its guestrooms and public spaces will showcase various artworks curated by the group’s art and creative division.
Artotel Group will also transform the restaurant and bar into a destination for meetings, gatherings, and hangouts. During the transition period to renovate the hotel with a new concept, Vue Palace will be running as usual but under the name Vue Palace, Artotel Curated.
Erastus Radjimin, founder & CEO of Artotel Group, said that the rebranding of Vue Palace Hotel into a lifestyle boutique hotel is to appeal to the younger segment, which he calls “a huge potential market in Indonesia”.
Vue Palace, Artotel Curated is the second hotel operated by Artotel Group in Bandung, after De Braga by Artotel.
Royal Caribbean plots course to net zero
Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) has unveiled its Destination Net Zero decarbonisation strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
“Decades ago, we set out on a course to advance sustainability; our vision now is to realise carbon-free cruising over the next two decades,” said Richard Fain, RCL chairman and CEO.
He added that Destination Net Zero is “an ambitious strategy to cut emissions, protect our oceans, and ensure the viability of the hundreds of destinations that our guests and crew members care deeply about”.
As part of the strategy, the cruise company will over 18 to 24 months develop goals to be validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the first such pledge for the cruise industry. The work will begin following the publication of SBTi’s marine transport methodology. Science-based targets show companies how much, and how quickly, they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to help limit global warming.
The plan also includes the delivery of a net zero emissions cruise ship by 2035, through partnerships forged with governments, suppliers and shipyards to develop alternative and accessible fuels and technology.
Destination Net Zero’s four-pronged approach comprises of the modernisation of RCL’s global brands fleet through the introduction of 13 new energy-efficient and alternatively fuelled vessels, including its recently announced Project Evolution – the industry’s first ship to remove all local emissions while at port.
It will also entail continued investment in energy efficiency programmes for the cruise line’s fleet, including energy saving technologies, enhanced data systems and digitalisation; development of alternative fuel and alternative power solutions; and optimised deployment and integration of strategic shore-based supply chains.
SPTO partners with ForwardKeys to enhance tourism recovery
The Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) and ForwardKeys have signed a MoU to develop a marketing partnership that will see both organisations collaborate to better support the SPTO members in data analytics.
A key objective of the partnership is to share how more relevant, timely and actionable data can be leveraged by SPTO’s membership of 20 Pacific Island countries to better monitor, plan and achieve real business outcomes within the shifting travel ecosystem.
“The MoU underlines the role of data analytics and intelligence tools towards tourism recovery, in a time when data-led decisions and strategies are more crucial than ever,” said Jameson Wong, vice president strategic clients & partnerships APAC at ForwardKeys, while delivering an industry update on “Pacific Islands’ Recovery Paths, Trends and Outlook” at SPTO’s tourism webinar.
“The decisions that government and private sector business leaders make today may impact the organisations’ trajectories for years to come. In these unchartered waters, where the tides continue to shift and targets (are) constantly moving, data-driven insights are no longer nice-to-have’s but must-have navigational tools,” he added.
SPTO CEO, Christopher Cocker, emphasised the importance of building partnerships to effectively address common challenges. “Collaborating with like-minded partners will be pivotal for regional tourism organisations, particularly against the backdrop of the pandemic. Innovative collaboration will fast-track tourism rebuilding and strengthen our collective resilience for the long run,” he said.
He added that SPTO’s partnership with ForwardKeys will guide its members on how to “better navigate risks and leverage opportunities through data solutions”.
Dream Cruises will celebrate its first year milestone in resuming cruise services for the Singapore market on November 6 with World Dream, an achievement that has resulted in expanded market demographic and onboard guest spend as well as creative product breakthroughs.
Since its inception in 2020, World Dream has welcomed close to 200,000 Singapore residents aboard with over 150 Super Seacation voyages. Demand remains strong, with most sailings for the remaining months of 2021 almost sold out, while a strong momentum is registered for early-2022.
The milestone is shared with Dream Cruises’ fifth anniversary as a brand, making November a “truly special” month, commented Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises.
“We are deeply appreciative of the continuous support from the Singapore Tourism Board, the local authorities, and the general public, which enabled us to provide Singapore residents with an alternative and safe vacation experience over the past year in these unique circumstances,” said Goh in a press statement.
Throughout the past year, Dream Cruises maintained its engagement with the local tourism sector across various networks, including vendors for provisioning to bunkering, cruise terminal operators, medical service providers, and travel partners. It also contributed to job creation, including opportunities for Singaporeans.
It was also a year of product creativity, as Dream Cruises rolled out several first-of-a-kind initiatives to revitalise the tourism sector. Notable initiatives include Asia’s first Halal-friendly cruise ship, which was certified by both the United World Halal Development and the Global Vegetarian Certification Services in December 2020; a platform to showcase Made with Passion local lifestyle brands onboard World Dream; and a partnership with KrisFlyer – Singapore Airlines’ frequent flyer programme – on an exclusive chartered cruise for members as well as the option to earn KrisFlyer miles on Dream Cruises packages.
To combat pent-up wanderlust, World Dream crafted thematic cruises that presented Singapore residents with experiences of popular destinations such as South Korea, Thailand and Japan. This concept will be extended into the year-end school holidays and the festive season, with World Dream hosting A Nordic Christmas Adventure special from November 17 to January 1, 2022. Festive traditions of Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland can be enjoyed onboard through special attractions, activities and gourmet feasts.
According to Dream Cruises, these initiatives has expanded its market reach, converting more Singapore residents into cruise fans as well as attracted more younger travellers, such as millennials and Gen X-ers as well as couples with no children or families with non-school-going young children. With a wider market demographic, guest spend on World Dream in Singapore has risen by 37.5 per cent in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic in 2019.