Travel, Transportation concept - Airplane flying over Singapore city in morning time
The wanderlust spirit is well and alive among Singaporeans, with majority having plans to travel this year once travel restrictions lift, according to a survey by Singapore’s mobile wallet operator YouTrip.
The Travel Intent Survey, which polled 6,000 Singaporeans, found that slightly more than half of the respondents (54 per cent) have plans to travel in 2020 as soon as travel restrictions lift. Of that number, millennial travellers aged 25 to 34 are the most adventurous (35 per cent). Comparatively, only 22 per cent of travellers aged 35 to 44, and 11 per cent of those aged 55 to 64 expect to travel within the year.
Demand for travel remains resilient in face of pandemic, with 7 in 10 Singaporeans desiring to travel in 2020, once border regulations eases: YouTrip survey
Caecilia Chu, co-founder and CEO of YouTrip said: “It’s encouraging to see signs of travel recovering after months of pent-up demand. Within our community of users, many of them are avid travellers who I believe will be amongst the first movers for the initial travel recovery.”
Popular countries like Japan (23 per cent), Thailand (12 per cent), and Malaysia (11 per cent) remain top choices for Singaporeans, followed by Australia (eight per cent), South Korea (seven per cent), Taiwan (six per cent), mainland China (five per cent), New Zealand (four per cent), Indonesia (four per cent), and Vietnam (two per cent).
As for Covid-19 hotspot countries, 25 per cent more Singaporeans are willing to travel there in 1H2021 (40 per cent) as compared to 2020 (15 per cent), signalling a gradual recovery of tourism in the most affected countries.
As an indicator of the pent-up demand for travel, 85 per cent of Singaporeans are prepared to spend more on their next holiday. Four in 10 Singaporeans are willing to budget 30 per cent or more for their upcoming travel plans to make up for cancelled trips.
IATA’s chief economist, Brian Pearce, estimated that flight tickets will cost 43 per cent to 54 per cent higher than previous prices due to in-flight social distancing policies. Even though Singaporeans have expressed their enthusiasm for their next holiday, most of them are value-driven when it comes to transport expenses. Some 72 per cent of respondents said they will be deterred by higher flight ticket prices and would wait for promotional prices before making their travel plans.
This is echoed in 58 per cent of respondents stating that promotional prices will entice them to resume travelling in 2020, further suggesting that Singaporeans are value-driven. “Pay Now, Travel Later” promotions seem to be a viable option for Singaporeans, with more than 70 per cent indicating that they will be keen to purchase if the discounts are at least half-priced or more. Other factors that could influence their purchase include the flexibility of stay and eligibility for full refunds.
In view of cancelled travel plans in 2020, 28 per cent of respondents stated that they’ll be saving the money instead. Local staycations (15 per cent), shopping (14 per cent), and visiting local tourist attractions (five per cent) are among alternative options for Singaporeans.
Sarah Samuel, Head of Airport IT, Amadeus Asia Pacific
How the global travel industry will recover from the current situation is unclear. However, we are witnessing some early signs of recovery in China. Slowly and cautiously, bookings are seeing a small increase, with the recent five-day holiday bringing a jump in travel and hotel bookings.
We are seeing industry players rethink how they should be managing unforeseeable risks. For airports in the region specifically, during this period, we saw operators increasingly look to technology to ensure a hygienic and frictionless passenger experience.
For example, Hong Kong International Airport deployed several self-driving robots to clean public areas as part of its measures to protect against the spread of Covid-19. In the long term, the utilisation of technology is crucial for airports with regards to meeting the needs of passengers and driving non-aeronautical revenues.
Automation to streamline the passenger journey
To adapt to changing passenger flows, airports are implementing automation across all touchpoints in and around the terminal. Automated bag drop units are one way airports can streamline the process of check-in, allowing a fast and efficient way for travellers to check in luggage, independently. For example, Tokyo’s Narita International Airport is installing 72 Auto Bag Drop units to create a more seamless experience for passengers.
In the long term, by automating the airport experience, travellers can have more time to relax and unwind before a flight. With the time they save, travellers can further explore the airport and its retail and food and beverage outlets, making airports more experiential, rather than purely functional.
Biometrics will be more prominent
To further manage passenger flows across the terminal, airports can invest in biometric technology to adjust throughput while streamlining the passenger journey.
Biometrics are being widely implemented in airports across the Asia-Pacific region. Australia’s Qantas Airways is an example where an airline tested the technology for all touchpoints across the terminal at Sydney Airport, including check-in, bag drop, lounge access, and boarding processes.
Ultimately, biometrics are a key component in enabling frictionless travel, allowing passengers to enter a lounge, check-in, and board their aircraft all via facial recognition. The technology can also be helpful in the current environment.
Wuhan Airport, which has recently reopened to the public after the city lockdown, is piloting the AI-powered biometrics scanner that does temperature checks on passengers. It can measure up to one hundred people in just two minutes.
As passengers become more conscious of touchpoints at the airport and feel confident their privacy and security are not compromised, biometrics can also facilitate contactless travel. Imagine replacing traditional touch checks such as passport and boarding pass scans, with a touchless scan of a passenger’s face.
Off-site passenger handling will become the norm
Airports can also explore off-site passenger handling to offer a seamless airport experience; this can be done through pop-up check-in and baggage drop services. Off-site processing can be deployed in more convenient locations away from the airport, such as railway stations, cruise terminals, conference venues, sporting events, and hotels.
Not only does off-site processing reduce the number of passengers at the terminal, it also works to personalise the journey for the traveller as it offers more choice in how, when and where they check-in and drop off their bags. It can also assist airports in meeting new passenger expectations surrounding social distancing by dispersing traditionally crowded terminals and checking in passengers at strategically placed off-site locations.
Mega airports will become destinations in themselves
Competition for passengers, airline routes, and non-aeronautical revenues are already driving innovative players to rethink what the airport of the future could look like. Looking ahead, we’re going to see the expansion of airports in China to be more competitive against airports elsewhere in Asia, as well as to meet new customer demands.
As travellers are offered more choice, airports will have to become more experiential, and ultimately, a destination themselves in the upcoming future. As airports look to utilise their existing infrastructure, terminals will begin to see automation, biometrics and off-airport check-in as viable solutions to address evolving passenger expectations.
The good news is that airports are seeing the benefits of these new efficient technologies, and the technology itself will only get better to continue to improve the traveller’s journey – ultimately, allowing airports to lead in providing a frictionless travel experience.
Bangkok cityscape. Bangkok night view in the business district. at twilight
Optimism is building for a revival of Thailand’s hotel industry, as the sector enters a recovery phase with the country’s easing of domestic tourism restrictions, allowing for inter-provincial travel.
Occupancy in Bangkok and Phuket will likely bottom out this month, on the back of an expected surge in domestic tourism and the restarting of domestic flights, predicted JLL’s Hotels Recovery Guide. The anticipated reopening of international borders in the coming months is also set to influence the pace of recovery.
Recovery of Thailand’s tourism market seen as benchmark for the wider Asia-Pacific hotel industry: JLL; Bangkok cityscape pictured
Chakkrit Chakrabandhu Na Ayudhya, executive vice president, investment sales, Asia Pacific, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, said: “Thailand’s hotel industry is a bellwether market in global and regional hospitality circles, and its Covid-19 recovery will be closely observed by operators and investors.
“With both government and bank support, we’re optimistic a market like Bangkok, with its well-balanced offering to business and leisure demand, will be amongst the first hotel sectors regionally to display meaningful recovery, whilst Phuket will take relatively longer as it relies more on international and leisure demand.”
The maturity of Thailand’s hotel space, as well as bank and government support so far, have helped the industry alleviate the full impact of Covid-19, despite widespread issues with cash flows and fixed operational overheads.
JLL expects fewer distressed asset sales in Bangkok, compared to other markets in Thailand, due to robust balance sheets held by many owners. Investors have been looking for opportunities in Thailand, with greater interest expected initially from developers and private equity firms who tend to be less risk-averse, as the recovery gains momentum.
According to JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality, operators and investors in Thailand’s hotel industry should also consider several factors to optimise their recovery strategies:
• Critically evaluate hotel positioning and segmentation mix in light of extensive current supply and future pipeline
• Calculate breakeven occupancy and factor in gradual demand ramp up, taking into consideration potential travel bubbles being considered by the Thai government
• Focus on brand, operating and distribution partners when setting out a differentiating strategy to the local market, while following the opening of borders carefully
• Take advantage of the government’s domestic tourism promotion to help restart operations and build local customer loyalty; launch staycation packages to take advantage of pent-up domestic demand
• Look for every opportunity to get guests ready for post-Covid-19 travel, embrace the restrictions and set up health and safety protocols for the reopening
Mandy Tran Thi My Dung has joined The Anam Cam Ranh as director of sales and marketing.
She makes the move from Hyatt Regency Nha Trang, where she was the property’s director of sales and marketing for a year.
Prior to that, the Vietnamese was with Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel and Spa for eight years, where she served as the hotel’s director of sales and marketing for almost seven years.
With nearly two decades of experience, the seasoned hospitality professional has served as director of sales at the Dalat Palace and Dalat Du Parc Hotel (formerly Sofitel Dalat and Novotel Dalat, respectively), as well as a wholesale sales manager for the Park Hyatt Saigon and Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City.
• Biosecurity clearance that supports a ‘test and trace’ approach is recommended
• Study shows consumers are willing to sacrifice privacy for right to travel
• Implementation is, however, easier said than done
National governments in Asia, Australia and Europe have rolled out contact-tracing apps to curb the spread of Covid-19 on home soil, but what if similar technology could be harnessed in the skies and effectively bring the travel industry back to life?
Biometric identification to verify an individual’s health status can help restart air travel
This may seem far-fetched, but later this month, a blockchain-powered health app, which has been backed by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), will be tested on a flight from Madrid to Canary Islands.
The Health iCard App, known as Hi+ Card, was developed by Madrid-based Tourism Data Driven Solutions (TDDS) and securely stores medical records to certify that travellers are Covid-free.
In a statement, TDDS CEO, Antonio López de Avila, said the app is compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and creates a unique Digital ID for each user based on data supplied by a national authority and accredited health entities.
“So, there is no chance of creating fake profiles or manipulating the medical records. Users ask these entities to directly store the info, in a cryptographic and secure way, in their profiles using the blockchain,” he said.
A similar app has also been developed by the International Chamber of Commerce, which teamed up with a number of global organisations, including medical and security services firm International SOS, to develop ICC AOKpass.
“The app allows users to privately and securely verify their health information with third parties anytime, anywhere,” AOKpass co-founder Dorjee Sun told TTG Asia.
“It can adapt to whatever rules apply to any given country, based on medical science, regulation and best practice as they evolve,” he said.
Biosecurity is the new normal
Global leaders in the travel and tourism industry also support the use of biometric identification to help kick-start regional and international travel.
On June 25, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) released a new set of guidelines that advocate a ‘test and trace’ approach to replace “highly damaging” quarantine measures.
“This is consistent with advice from WHO (World Health Organization) and other leading health authorities that the best way to control and reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus, is through early identification of carriers to ensure they don’t travel,” WTTC president & CEO, Gloria Guevara, said.
WTTC’s advice includes the systematic roll-out of biometric identification at each stage of the travel journey.
Responding to questions by TTG Asia, a WTTC spokesperson said the organisation supports technologies that establish a traveller’s identity using government-issued ID (like a passport for international travel or a driver license for domestic travel) and integrate biometrics such as e-certificates for Covid-19 testing and/or vaccination.
“Test certificates, for travel use, are defined by governments and should include test result, date of the test, test type, testing location, and test result. In the immediate term, as tests are not broadly available, a self-declaration symptoms questionnaire may be required,” the spokesperson said.
Creating a global standard?
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) also supported the use of biosecurity measures as part of a “layered approach” to reopen borders.
“There is no single measure that will reduce risk and enable a safe re-start of flying. But a layering of measures that are globally implemented and mutually recognised by governments can achieve the needed outcome,” IATA director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said.
The recent opening of travel bubbles in Europe and a ‘green lane’ between Singapore and China are examples of such ‘mutually recognised’ measures. But these are in their infancy and, for the most part, based on bilateral agreements.
If there’s any hope of reviving the international travel industry before the discovery (and deployment) of a vaccine, a digital heath passport must be recognised globally.
According to PATA CEO Mario Hardy, that’s easier said than done.
“The WHO, ICAO and other UN agencies can certainly recommend best practices, but may not have the ability to enforce adoption. In order to be valid, a digital health certificate/passport would have to be issued by governmental health authorities,” he said.
Digital health passports have to be implemented by governmental health authorities: Hardy
Hardy suggests the best way forward is to incorporate health information into existing processes such the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), which the airline industry uses to transfer security information to government authorities.
“In addition, rapid testing needs to be available at departure/arrival and for that information to be transmitted to the destination’s health authorities as well as recorded in a contact tracing app,” he said. “There are several variations of this scenario being discussed with authorities around the globe, however none of them are 100 per cent perfect.”
Privacy concerns
Apps like AOKpass, according to Sun, can help to connect the various checks and balances that exist in each country, while also ensuring the strict protection of personal data.
“If different and incompatible digital health passport systems are adopted across countries, this will substantially increase the time and cost for government authorities, businesses and travellers to comply,” he explained.
“Digital health passports that rely on centralised systems to access/store personal health data will also infringe on the privacy rights of individuals.”
After months of lockdown, travellers may even be more willing to share their personal data if it means a safe return to the skies.
A recent survey by telehealth and travel insurance provider, Global Rescue, revealed that 91 per cent of travellers are prepared to share personal medical history and their travel plans as a pre-condition to returning to travel.
Travel agents play a guiding role
Digital solutions that enable a ‘low-touch’ travel experience will likely prevail. Cybersecurity will therefore be a key concern moving forward, as will compliance to data privacy laws and rebuilding trust with clients.
President of the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS), Steven Ler, said travel agents will need to help clients navigate the brave new world of tracking technology, and provide additional aid to elderly travellers who may be less tech-savvy.
Ongoing communication and engagement with clients will also prove crucial on the road to recovery.
In a post-Covid world, travel and tourism will play a role in rebuilding societies and economies — but so will blockchain technology.
Global travellers looking to book holiday accommodation in the post-Covid era prioritise sanitation and hygiene over price and location, according to a Skyscanner survey.
The survey, which sought to find out how planning for a stay will evolve post-Covid-19, was conducted among 2,300 travellers from the UK, the US, Australia, South Korea, and Singapore (131 respondents) visiting Skyscanner’s site from June 12-22, 2020.
Stringent sanitation and health checks are the new must-haves: Skyscanner
When it comes to booking a property in the future, 55 per cent of Skyscanner users score sanitation and hygiene practices as “extremely important”, compared to price (48 per cent) and location (45 per cent). Reward and loyalty programmes ranked lowest (11 per cent), after brand reputation (21 per cent) and star rating (20 per cent).
When it comes to the importance of flexible room change/cancellation policies, nearly half of (47 per cent) Singapore travellers rate it as “extremely important”, the highest across all surveyed countries, against the global average of 29 per cent.
This shift in traveller preference can be attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic, with travellers saying that hygiene and sanitation practices (73 per cent) and flexible cancellation policies (61 per cent) have become “more important than before”.
In response, Skyscanner has recently introduced cleanliness ratings on most accommodation listed on its site. These ratings are retrieved from TripAdvisor’s reviews in real-time.
Ulf Waschbusch, director of product – hotels for Skyscanner, commented on the new feature: “The cleanliness rating provides a clear indication of the accommodation’s hygiene standards, allowing travellers to make more informed accommodation choices.
“It is still early days for the industry’s recovery, but travellers have already determined that hygiene and flexibility are the new necessities in the face of Covid-19. Moving forward, it is imperative that travel providers not only implement measures to instill consumer confidence, but also find new ways to inform the holiday booking experience.”
Cleanliness scores are currently presented on Skyscanner desktop and mobile web platforms
Skyscanner data also revealed that the hotel experience will be reshaped. Nearly half (46 per cent) of the surveyed travellers said they will avoid shared amenities and common areas such as fitness facilities. Some 40 per cent of them would also prefer to dine outdoors, if given the option.
Having activities in-room is especially attractive to Singapore travellers, with nearly a third of them (31 per cent) saying they will look out for in-room experiences offered by the property, as compared to the global average of 19 per cent. This presents accommodation providers with opportunities to reinvent the hotel experience to offer add-ons such as private spa treatments and indoor workout videos.
It has been tough for big players of the embattled Philippine travel and tourism, but more so for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) – comprising the majority of the industry – that have moved for their own survival amid scant government support, awaiting indefinitely the 58 billion pesos (US$1.15 billion) stimulus package including loans and tax holidays for the industry.
MSME tourism players have had to invest in complying with the new health and safety protocols despite having no business four months into the government-imposed lockdown.
Tours guides in the Philippines are struggling for survival, as they await stimulus payouts from the government; a tour guide bringing tourists around Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar in the Philippines pictured
Faced with many uncertainties, 150 independent and MSME hotel owners and operators of the action group HOT Philippines (Hotel Owners for Tomorrow) have bonded to support each other, and one way is by validating the suppliers of safety protocols such as personal protection equipment (PPEs) to get better pricing and improve the procurement process.
It eases the supply chain to the benefit of the hotels, said Cyndy Tan Jarabata, CEO and president of Tajara Leisure and Hospitality Group, who co-organised HOT Philippines along with Eric Ricaurte of Greenview Singapore.
The Hotel Sales and Marketing Association opened an online store where members whose hotels have closed due to the pandemic can sell assorted commodities, from food and plants to PPEs and face masks.
Travel consultants have organised barters and food deliveries while others have temporarily shifted to online classes, teaching English as second language, and working for business process outsourcing to survive the current no work, no pay norm.
Romano Del Rosario, Philippine Tour Guide Federation vice president for Luzon, said tour guides especially in provincial destinations are hardest hit by the pandemic as they are mostly self-employed and freelancers.
He said it was double whammy for guides in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) due to the January eruption of Taal Volcano followed by the pandemic in mid-March. Fortunately, affected guides were able to get through tough times on rice and food handouts by tour operators in Bohol, he added.
Rosario is looking forward to a wage subsidy for tour guides representing 55 to 75 per cent of their wage for two months once the US$1.15 billion tourism stimulus package is ready.
Jarabata co-organised action group HOT Philippines to bring together smaller players in the hotel industry for mutual support amid the virus crisis
Josie Costales of Costales Nature Farm also hoped to get loan assistance from the stimulus package, as the farm and farming school ceased operations when seminars and farm trips were cancelled and the restaurants that they supply with high-valued vegetables had to shutter. Money from the loan will also go towards repair works on their cottages for overnight stays.
Today, Costales said his son started offering organic technology for free on YouTube as their farming school is closed and the farm shifted to planting lowland vegetables which barely yield profits.
Lax Junnel Mendoza, tourism officer at Dolores Provincial Office, bemoaned the DoT’s “no intervention at all” for MSMEs, especially in the provinces which have limited funds and are the most affected by the pandemic. They are “self-sustaining as they fear borrowing funds and (are following) all regulations for fear of being shut down”, Mendoza said.
Mendoza, whose travel agency was one of the casualties of the pandemic, said that to survive, about 80 per cent of the members of the Association of Travel and Tour Agencies in Calabarzon have taken to planting and selling honey, coffee, turmeric and other produce in Dolores. The sale will soon be expanded to Tayabas, also in Quezon, and later, in coordination with local government units, to other parts of Calabarzon.
Some 21 Shangri-La hotels in South-east Asia and Sri Lanka are donating 12,500kg of used, clean bedsheets, duvet covers and pillowcases to local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and volunteer groups to be repurposed into reusable face masks for vulnerable members of society.
Done in partnership with global hygiene and cleaning company, Diversey, the hotel company’s initiative also presents employment opportunities for members in low socio-economic community groups in cities such as Yangon, Manila, Johor Bahru, Colombo, Surabaya, Jakarta and Bangkok.
Two refugee children help each other with their masks at Cedar Learning Center in Bangkok
In Singapore, the group’s four hotels are looking to contribute up to 80,000 reusable face masks for communities in need during this period, with volunteer groups such as Dirtylinen and Keeping Hope Alive distributing the masks to the elderly often living alone in rental flats. The masks will also be distributed to teachers and students in need at NGO Intercultural Theatre Institute.
The upcycling of clean, used linen into face masks also provides Shangri-La a meaningful way to help reduce environmental wastage.
Citing an independent study by Metabolic in The Netherlands on the life cycle analysis of cotton and poly-cotton linen and cotton towels used in top hotel chains, Shangri-La noted in a press statement that the production of 500,000 fabric face masks using new linen would have incurred 60 million litres of water – the equivalent of 23 Olympic-size swimming pools – and a carbon footprint of 150 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 63,000 litres of petrol being combusted.
Volunteer sewing face masks with donated linens
Chan Kong Leong, regional CEO for Shangri-La Group in Southeast Asia & Australasia, said: “At Shangri-La, we have dedicated our last 50 years to caring for our guests, colleagues and local communities. Just as we have elevated our cleaning and safety protocols in our hotels as part of our Shangri-La Cares commitment to our guests and colleagues, we are heartened to be able to continue helping and caring for the communities around us throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Linens For Life Face Masks programme provides clear health, social and environmental benefits for communities during these challenging times.”
Shangri-La’s partnership with Diversey on the Linens For Life Face Masks programme builds on the successful Soap For Hope collaboration between the two entities globally, which has seen 427 tonnes of hotel soap slivers recycled into 3.5 million new soap bars for at-risk communities over the past three years.
Contactless check-in kiosks, as well as facial and iris recognition for immigration clearance, are part of heightened safety measures rolled out by Changi Airport, in anticipation of the return of the flying public.
These new innovations will be rolled out airport-wide, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said in a press release on Wednesday.
New contactless and cleaning innovations, such as the proximity touch screens, will enhance the health and safety for travellers at Changi Airport
Proximity touch screens and infrared sensors will be installed progressively at the airport’s check-in and bag drop kiosks, enabling travellers to select options by pointing their finger close to the screen without touching it.
For those who need to check in at counters staffed by customer service agents, acrylic screens will provide a safe barrier between passengers and staff.
Additionally, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority has upgraded the automated immigration lanes at the airport with a new biometric system that uses facial and iris recognition technology as the primary means for identity verification. This replaces traditional fingerprint scanning.
Cleaning innovations have also been introduced by CAG. Autonomous cleaning robots that roam the terminals have been fitted with a nozzle that sprays a light disinfecting mist on carpets and floors during cleaning.
The group is also testing the use of UVC LED technology to disinfect the handrails of escalators and travellators. A trial is also being conducted on the use of contactless infrared technology for passenger lifts, where travellers just need to hover their finger over the lift button to activate it.
Tan Lye Teck, CAG’s executive vice president for airport management, said: “Passengers will expect airports to deliver the highest standards of safety and hygiene to give them peace of mind during their journey, and we will rapidly bring on board new measures as we go into a new normal for air travel… CAG will work with other aviation partners to instill a high sense of confidence among travellers going through Changi Airport when air travel eventually resumes.”
The world’s tourism industry is set for a slow recovery, with global outbound travel numbers expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels only in 2023, according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The same report also predicted that international tourism receipts will only rebound nominally in 2022.
Global outbound travel not set for full recovery before 2023, with countries turning to domestic tourism to jumpstart recovery
In the meantime, domestic tourism is expected to fill part of the demand-supply gap at some destinations and increase occupancy rates at hotels. However, countries that rely heavily on foreign tourism are finding the relatively small domestic market woefully inadequate to buoy the sector.
Additionally, the shrinking Chinese outbound tourism market is expected to have a knock-on effect on destination markets worldwide. Prior to the pandemic, Chinese travellers contributed to nine per cent of outbound travel numbers globally and 18 per cent of international tourism receipts.
According to data from OAG, flight capacities decreased by at least 50 per cent across the globe for the week beginning June 15, 2020, compared to the week starting January 20.
The South-west Pacific region, South America and Western Europe faced the greatest decline – air capacity fell by approximately 90 per cent, more than 80 per cent, and around 80 per cent, respectively.
These were followed by South-east Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Central America. Across all of these regions, flight capacity decreased by about 70 per cent.
Central and Eastern Europe faced the least capacity cuts overall, though flight capacity was still significantly reduced by about 50 per cent. Meanwhile, in North America, capacity plunged by more than 60 per cent.
While flight capacity is starting to recover, this is not an indication of a rebound in the travel industry, said the EIU.
The global tourism crisis has a ripple effect on other industries. For instance, in aviation, the fall in the number of scheduled flights caused cargo rates to soar and disruptions in the supply chain. Countries have been pulling together financial relief initiatives for airlines due to the impact the aviation sector has on other industries.
Interestingly, for Hong Kong, the fall in retail prices amid the pandemic have led huge numbers of Chinese tourists to take their dollars to the city.
– Translated by Angela Teo; this article was first published in TTG China
Some 21 Shangri-La hotels in South-east Asia and Sri Lanka are donating 12,500kg of used, clean bedsheets, duvet covers and pillowcases to local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and volunteer groups to be repurposed into reusable face masks for vulnerable members of society.
Done in partnership with global hygiene and cleaning company, Diversey, the hotel company’s initiative also presents employment opportunities for members in low socio-economic community groups in cities such as Yangon, Manila, Johor Bahru, Colombo, Surabaya, Jakarta and Bangkok.
In Singapore, the group’s four hotels are looking to contribute up to 80,000 reusable face masks for communities in need during this period, with volunteer groups such as Dirtylinen and Keeping Hope Alive distributing the masks to the elderly often living alone in rental flats. The masks will also be distributed to teachers and students in need at NGO Intercultural Theatre Institute.
The upcycling of clean, used linen into face masks also provides Shangri-La a meaningful way to help reduce environmental wastage.
Citing an independent study by Metabolic in The Netherlands on the life cycle analysis of cotton and poly-cotton linen and cotton towels used in top hotel chains, Shangri-La noted in a press statement that the production of 500,000 fabric face masks using new linen would have incurred 60 million litres of water – the equivalent of 23 Olympic-size swimming pools – and a carbon footprint of 150 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 63,000 litres of petrol being combusted.
Chan Kong Leong, regional CEO for Shangri-La Group in Southeast Asia & Australasia, said: “At Shangri-La, we have dedicated our last 50 years to caring for our guests, colleagues and local communities. Just as we have elevated our cleaning and safety protocols in our hotels as part of our Shangri-La Cares commitment to our guests and colleagues, we are heartened to be able to continue helping and caring for the communities around us throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Linens For Life Face Masks programme provides clear health, social and environmental benefits for communities during these challenging times.”
Shangri-La’s partnership with Diversey on the Linens For Life Face Masks programme builds on the successful Soap For Hope collaboration between the two entities globally, which has seen 427 tonnes of hotel soap slivers recycled into 3.5 million new soap bars for at-risk communities over the past three years.