In the wake of a recent episode in Thailand, where tourism authorities got criticized for the lax implementation of rules, sweeping new policy changes are afoot in China for online tourism. Consumer confidence seems to have been hit hard post the incident in Thailand, so this is a step to bring it back. The major and travel operators in China are expected to reap in the benefits are increasing number of Chinese national travel abroad. Those such as Alibaba’s Fliggy, Tunio Corp and ctrip.com International will be among the biggest beneficiaries. According to business intelligence provided by the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), the outbound expenditures by Chinese nationals has risen eleven times over the last decade.

Source:https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-prepares-sweeping-online-tourism-regulation

Uploaded Date:03 December 2018

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards for 2019 has called in entries. This is the fifteenth edition of the awards. The winners are decided by tourism consulting body World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The main focus of these awards are towards sustainable practices in tourism. Awards are given for several categories starting namely for – Social Impact, Destination Stewardship, Climate Action, Investing in People and Changemakers. The last one sees a change in theme each year, with this year the focus on fighting illegal wildlife trade in Arica. The event will take place in April, 2019 in Sevilla, Spain. A substantial chunk of previous years’ winners have been from Asia, so the belief is that the continent can repeat its past performance.

Source:https://www.traveldailymedia.com/wttc-awards-2019-asia/

Uploaded Date:03 December 2018

Online review platforms like Tri Advisor and websites of travel destinations are now offering a huge quantity of data on destination reviews. Social media in addition is providing that window for digital marketing to be conducted on a wide scale. In such a scenario, the right online reputation management systems need to be put in place. This requires first of all, an honesty so that expectations do not rise above what can be satisfied. Detailed analysis must be done of the reviews to provide personalized services to guests. The positive feedbacks must be shared with the team so that people feel motivated. One must personally participate on social media as much as possible to gauge the real trends and issues voiced. It will also help build a personal brand. The business intelligence gathered must be taken into consideration. The feedback has to be incorporated to make the adequate changes.

Source:https://www.tourism-review.com/travel-destinations-need-to-work-through-social-media-news10771

Uploaded Date:27 November 2018

The US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board confirmed Kurt Ekert to its post of Vice Chair. He has been the president of Minneapolis-based tourism consulting and management firm Carlson Wagonlit. This board has a total of 32 representatives from various companies dealing with the industry. Visa policy, travel facilitation, infrastructure, marketing research, economic sustainability, energy policy and aviation security have been the key areas of concern. Due to the new appointee’s two-decade long experience in this industry, he was considered the ideal fit. Previously he has held the top positions at GTA, Cendant, Continental Airlines, Travelport, e-Nett and Orbitz Worldwide.

Source:http://www.meetings-conventions.com/News/Breaking-News/The-U-S–Travel-and-Tourism-Advisory-Board-Appoints-Kurt-Ekert-to-Vice-Chair/

Uploaded Date:26 November 2018

The island nation of Japan has a target of 40 million visitors by the year 2020 and an even greater 60 million by 2030. To make this a reality, the VJTM (Visit Japan Travel Mart) 2018 was launched at the Tokyo Big Sight. All 47 prefectures in Japan were represented at this along with 800 international organizations. Business intelligence provided by the JNTO confirms that the gap is closing between Japan and the leading countries within the region such as Thailand. Sports tourism should definitely flourish thanks to Japan being the hosts for the upcoming Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Olympics in 2020. VJTM also gained traction due to it being jointly held along with the TEJ (Tourism Expo Japan). There was participation from the UNWTO as well in this.

Source:http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/In-Focus/japan–opportunities-galore–the-island-nation-set-to-receive-40-mn-visitors-by-2020-60-mn-by-2030-36453

Uploaded Date:23 November 2018

The business travel market is in for substantial growth driven by increased infrastructural investments and growth in the travel retail market. According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the business travel market will be worth more than US$ 1.6 billion by the year 2023, which represents an annual CAGR of 4.1%. The food and lodging segment will grow simultaneously during this period, while the highest demand by that time will be in the corporate industry segment. Among growth rates, the highest will be for the group traveler segment. Among regions, it is Asia-Pacific which will rule the 2023 market. The top companies dominating this segment will be Expedia, American Express Travel, Airbnb, BCD Travel, Hogg Robinson Group, Flight Centre Travel Group, Wexas Travel, The Priceline Group, Fare portal and Carlson Wagonlit Travel.

Source:https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/18/11/r12714762/business-travel-market-to-reach-1-657-bn-globally-by-2023-at-4-1-cagr-

Uploaded Date:21 November 2018

According to a recent report released titled “Data and Digital Platforms: Driving Tourism Growth in Asia-Pacific”, a staggering nine million tourism jobs may be created in the Asia-Pacific region next five years. This will be possible by making use of digital platforms within the industry. This report was published by the PATA and Tourism Economics, which is an Oxford Economics group company. Companies need to get a thorough understanding of the digital ecosystem so that they can capture business intelligence on the customers. This will enable them to launch customer-specific travel programmes. Skills shortages too need to be addressed on a war footing. Restrictive policies such as those on localization need to be avoided. SMEs in particular need to utilize the digital capabilities in order to stay competitive in international markets.

Source:https://www.eturbonews.com/232974/data-digital-platforms-driving-tourism-growth-in-asia-pacific

Uploaded Date:17 November 2018