ITB Asia, 'Asia's leading travel trade show' opened its doors today at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Over the next three days from 16 - 18 October 2019, the show will see organisations from across the travel industry gathering to establish high-quality contacts and conduct business.
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office today announced the winners among the 10 innovative startups from across the Mekong Region, which competed in the Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) competition on 9 October 2019.
There are easily more than half a million hotels around the world, so there are naturally thousands and thousands of hotel tech suppliers servicing them. At the lower end of the scale, under 50 rooms, there are several suppliers who do indeed provide an 'all-in-one' solution, as defined by the basic requirements of that market segment.
This is not a question about one vendor or multiple or one stop solutions. Hoteliers are confused because everyone tells them a different story about how they are more important than the rest. On top, it is about the inconvenience and extra charges when dealing with multiple vendors.
Messe Berlin (Singapore), one of the world's leading trade fair companies, announced that it will be organising the inaugural Travel Tech Asia 2020 in Singapore. The 3-day conference will take place from 21 to 23 October 2020 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre at Marina Bay Sands. Travel Tech Asia is under ITB Asia's umbrella of events and will be co-located with ITB Asia and MICE Show Asia in 2020, bringing together the largest travel showcase yet in Asia.
When I've started to work in the online distribution in 1999 by my boss and guru Pancho Mazza (r.i.p.) told me: the customer on the Internet is transitional. This is still THE thing. Online customer goes where it's better for it, and nowadays it's pretty easy to get informed and compare.
The new arrangement between Marriott and Expedia is very much like the arrangement Marriott has with the GDS like Sabre, Amadeus and TravelPort i.e. as with a technology distribution platform. If you are a travel agency or a TMC, talk to the GDS how to access Marriott's inventory, availability and retail pricing.
If anything, the deal is another step to dismantle the (dangerous) "Them vs. Us" mentality that most hotels still maintain towards online travel agencies. On the other side of the table, Expedia's move confirmed that the OTAs' model is definitively shifting towards the B2B's realm and, as I've been saying over and over again for the last five years, I won't be surprised to see Expedia and Booking shapeshift to SaaS companies in the near future.
Mastercard has released its Global Destination Cities Index, which ranks 200 cities around the world with the most international visitors. The list is based on the card issuer's proprietary analysis of publicly available spending data and visitor numbers. The results, which include information on the most-visited cities as well as consumers' spending habits, are telling.
Messe Berlin, one of the top ten trade fair and event organisers worldwide, is pleased to announce its cooperation with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) for organising the inaugural ITB India for the year 2020. The cooperation was formalised in in Berlin, Germany, by Dirk Hoffmann, Chief Financial Officer of Messe Berlin, Dr. Martin Buck, Senior Vice President, Travel & Logistics, Messe Berlin and Bernhard Steinrücke, Director General of IGCC. Messe Berlin (Singapore) will be supporting in organising this premier event in India. With its leading trade show, ITB Asia, it participates in the fastest-growing markets and has been a trendsetter in the Asian tourism world for eleven years now. "Our intention was to introduce the strong and successful ITB brand to the Indian market. We are pleased to have the vast network and expertise of IGCC at our side, which has over 60 years of experience in developing markets in India. ITB India is the product of our strategic partnership. Together we will establish ITB India as the leading travel trade show in India", said Dirk Hoffmann, Chief Financial Officer, Messe Berlin.
Where ABS could be a game changer is in search, recommendations and in pricing. Too many are focused at how this can be a method to sell ancillary revenue, like the airlines did. But the application in hotels could be totally different.
Attribute Based Shopping (ABS) is a good start, but I believe One-to-One Pricing, powered by AI will be the absolute winner for both travel consumers and hoteliers. ABS is already a departure from the current revenue management one-to-many pricing approach, but 1to1 Pricing will take this to an entirely different level.
I love the customer-centred vision at the heart of ABS. The promise of 'infinite SKUs' and stay packages that are experience-led rather than room-led is intoxicating. For many hotels, the digital sophisticates, these new capabilities will likely be put to good use.
LAS VEGAS, - MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) ("MGM Resorts" or the "Company") today released the following statement from Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International:
The inaugural MICE Show Asia, taking place alongside ITB Asia 2019 in Singapore between 16-18 October, will have as its theme 'Winning the Hearts of MICE Buyers.' Across three days, more than 30 speakers from Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVB), MICE buyer organisations, MICE tech companies and start-ups, will discuss topics ranging from events organisation and management, technological applications to trends forecasting and challenging conventional practices.
Accor Hotels caught the Singapore hotel industry by surprise with its latest deal with Global Premium Hotels, which operates Fragrance Hotel, a low budget brand that has a tinge of sleaze as many of its properties rent by the hour and are commonly used for sex.
Global hotel chains are going beyond kettles and congee to warm the hearts of Chinese domestic travelers, a market worth a reported $734 billion (RMB5.05 trillion) last year.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), South Asia's largest hospitality company, announces the launch of its new salon brand, niu&nau. The unisex salons will present a re-imagined experience with distinctive design and cutting-edge treatments delivered by professional stylists and therapists. Housed at Taj Lands End, Mumbai, the first niu&nau will open its doors today.
Education always helps, but I think the problem lies a little deeper. Lack of imagination. Hotels are brick and mortar businesses that deal with people. Technology isn't exactly on the top of the list when it comes to making a great hotel and guest experience.
Our industry is certainly lagging behind, but I don't believe this is something unique or exclusive to hospitality. For one thing, the labor shortage is an industry-wide problem across North America, and stems from a wider issue related to salaries, benefits competitiveness, demographics, etc.
Today's hospitality is being transformed from a real-estate industry into a 100% digital technology-enabled industry, powered by online, mobile, cloud, IoT, AI and blockchain tools and applications. Digital technology is making its way into every aspect of the industry: hotel operations, guest services and communications, revenue management, distribution, CRM and marketing.
In May 2019, IMD issued the last World's most competitive economies and Singapore ranked first. Now, what are the factors that allowed an island city-state, in Southeast Asia, to go from a developing country to a developed country and from it to the most competitive economy in roughly one generation period of time?
Accor has announced its new Art Series hotel in Perth will be named after one of Australian street art's most influential big wall painters - Matt Adnate.
Phuket Hotels Association is inviting groups to stage their special occasions on the sun-kissed shores of Phuket, with a new collaborative campaign and an enticing promotion designed to drive more business events to Thailand's largest island. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the "Business Meets Beach" initiative will see the association's 70 member hotels join forces to promote Phuket as the premier destination for the MICE industry. Building on the island's world-class facilities and spectacular natural scenery, the campaign will aim to show how Phuket's captivating culture sets it apart from the competition. Whether guests are planning a large-scale corporate conference, a creative team-building retreat, an intimate incentive or any other kind of get-together, Phuket has a unique ability to inspire guests. Groups can also add locally-inspired experiences, such as cultural discoveries, shopping trips, CSR activities, sightseeing excursions and offshore adventures, to ensure that every event lives long in the memory. Most importantly, the hotels' world-class accommodation, professional services and extensive event spaces, including vast ballrooms and beachfront venues, will guarantee that even the largest functions run smoothly and seamlessly, taking the stress out of the planning process. "With its rare combination of stunning scenery and outstanding indoor and alfresco MICE venues, Phuket has everything that professional planners could wish for. But the island is more than simply a venue for meetings and events; it is a giant canvas on which guests can paint their own stories, themed on Phuket's rich local culture and heritage. This is what makes our island truly special," said Anthony Lark, President of the Phuket Hotels Association. "Phuket is home to many outstanding hotels, each of which has its own distinct selling points for the MICE sector. It is also worth remembering that every meeting delegate is also a potential FIT guest who could return with their own family. So by working together and showcasing Phuket's many attractions, we can create a prosperous future not only for the MICE sector, but for the island's wider tourism industry," he added.
Loyalty programmes have long been a feature of the hotel sector, but little evidence has traditionally supported whether they represent an operationally and financially beneficial form of investment. Yet a recent study by Dr Dan Wang of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and her co-researchers provides strong evidence that hotels are justified in making such investments, and provides suggestions for how hotels can further capitalise on the benefits.
OYO launched in 2013 in India but has rapidly expanded to the U.K., China and most recently to mainland Europe through the acquisition of @Leisure. The company has also raised significant funding rounds including $1 billion led by Softbank in 2018.
Radisson Rewards, the global rewards program of Radisson Hotel Group, today announced an exciting new collaboration with WeHotel, the global hotel booking platform for Jin Jiang International.