TTG Asia Publications March 2019 Issue | Page 2

TTG ASIA MARCH 2019 CONTENTS & OPINION 2 Want to read us on the go? Personalisation made right The art of making travellers feel at home P Xinyi Liang-Pholsena Editor, TTG Asia [email protected] twitter.com/xinyi_pholsena www.linkedin.com/in/liangxinyi Herein also lies the personalisation challenge - how can hotels hyper- personalise without being hyper-personal or even becoming ‘creepy’? ersonalisation, a concept that lies at the very heart of the travel in- dustry, is no longer a trend but an obligation, as every player in the travel industry now looks to market itself as an experience rather than a product. Hotels are taking the personalisation message to heart to create a memora- ble guest experience and stand out from competitors. The proliferation of lifestyle hotels (see pages 16-17) is a reflection of the increasing emphasis hotels are putting on creativity and innovation in the shar- ing economy era, as they seek to accom- modate the changing preferences of a new generation of digital-savvy travellers seek- ing non-cookie cutter experiences. But in an era where consumer tech- nologies barrel forward, hotels also face a challenge in keeping up with ever-chang- ing consumer preferences and behaviour. As guests nowadays are likely to have more advanced technology in their own homes (or hands) than what is offered in a gues- troom, pressure is mounting on hoteliers to adapt to the new era of personalisation, i.e. the hyperconnected guest experience. Oakwood’s Asia-Pacific managing di- rector Dean Schreiber thinks “customisa- tion” will be the future of the guestroom experience, sharing his observations on the sidelines of the Serviced Apartment Summit Asia in Bangkok last month. “Twenty years ago, hotels were where technology was more advanced, but homes have caught up quickly. Now the trend is reversed,” Schreiber stated. Oak- wood has hence been looking at innovative ways to enhance the guest experience, and is set to unveil game-changing concepts in the coming weeks, he shared. At the same time, the rise of technology and big data has enabled hotels to gather the information necessary to build accu- rate customer profile and deliver personal- ised experiences. But while giving data may be second nature for a younger generation used to giving data in return for tailored content, services and experiences, their willingess to offer data is not shared equally across the travel demographics. Herein also lies the personalisation chal- lenge – how can hotels hyper-personalise without being hyper-personal or even be- coming ‘creepy’? There is also the broader concern of hyper-personalisation en- croaching on guest privacy, as recent data breaches in the airline and hospitality sec- tors have shown. Striking the right balance between ef- fective personalisation and respect for consumer privacy can be a challenge. How can hotels offer each customer a tailored experience with the right level of relevance and value as they seek to build a long-term relationship with guests? The art of making guests feel at home remains a fine art, even in this hypercon- nected age. EDITORIAL Karen Yue Group Editor [email protected] Xinyi Liang-Pholsena Editor, TTG Asia [email protected] S Puvaneswary Editor, Malaysia/Brunei [email protected] Mimi Hudoyo Editor, Indonesia [email protected] Pamela Chow Reporter, Singapore [email protected] Rachel AJ Lee, Yixin Ng Sub Editors [email protected], [email protected] Adelaine Ng Correspondent, Australia [email protected] Marissa Carruthers Correspondent, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam [email protected] Prudence Lui Correspondent, Hong Kong [email protected] Rohit Kaul Correspondent, India [email protected] Julian Ryall Correspondent, Japan [email protected] Rosa Ocampo Correspondent, Philippines [email protected] Feizal Samath Correspondent, Sri Lanka/Maldives [email protected] Chadamas Chinmaneevong Correspondent, Thailand [email protected] Redmond Sia, Goh Meng Yong Creative Designers Lina Tan Editorial Assistant SPECIAL PROJECTS DIVISION Paige Lee Pei Qi Assistant Editor, Special Projects [email protected] SALES & MARKETING Pierre Quek Publisher and Head Integrated Solutions [email protected] Ar-lene Lee Senior Business Manager [email protected] Jonathan Yap Senior Business Manager [email protected] Shirley Tan Senior Business Manager [email protected] Chelsea Huang Marketing Executive [email protected] Delia Ng Digital Marketing Strategist [email protected] Cheryl Lim Advertisement Administration Manager [email protected] Carol Cheng Assistant Manager Administration and Marketing [email protected] PUBLISHING SERVICES Jonathan Wan Head, Operational Support Services Kun Swee Qi Publishing Services Executive Nur Hazirah Web Executive Katherine Leong Circulation Executive TTG ASIA MEDIA Darren Ng Managing Director [email protected] OFFICES 10 Coming Up APRIL 2019 22 04 Personalisation for good measure Tailor-made travel brings bet- ter business and revenue op- portunities for DMCs and tour operators, but not without putting traditional industry relations under question 06 Making most of social media In the age of social media, travel players need to up their game to engage with today’s travellers in meaningful and potentially lucrative ways their game through technol- ogy, there’s no end to innova- tion in Asia’s theme park scene 16 New lifestyle in making Lifestyle hotel brands are finding popularity among the region’s hospitality operators and travellers 18 Developments come ashore New developments for Sentosa and its surrounds will step up the destination’s appeal to a wider market segment and extend visitors’ length of stay 09 Shaking a legacy culture Diethelm Travel Group CEO Stephan Roemer is reshaping the 60-year-old DMC’s struc- ture and positioning it with a ‘handicraft’ approach 22 Positive connections Hong Kong’s growing acces- sibility and links to the Greater Bay Area are key to growing longhaul business to the city 10 Asia’s thrills and spills From new openings to upping 27 Connect Hottest stories in February, TTG rolls out TripAdvisor page SINGAPORE 1 Science Park Road #04-07 The Capricorn, Singapore Science Park II, Singapore 117528 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] [email protected]; www.ttgasia.com HONG KONG 8/F, E168, 166-168 Des Voeux Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Cruises Despite the growth potentials of the cruise market in Asia-Pacific, travel agents have yet to find their sea legs. What are cruise lines doing to change this? TTG Asia is a product by TTG Travel Trade Publishing, a business group of TTG Asia Media. It is mailed free on written request to readers who meet predetermined criteria. Paid subscriptions are available to those who do not meet the criteria. Annual airmail subscriptions are US$180 to Asia and US$199 elsewhere. Cover price US$5. MCI (P) 037/09/2017 • PPS 1885/02/2017(025627) Serviced residences As serviced residences enjoy greater popularity among leisure travellers, operators are redesign- ing their offerings to meet the growing demand for shorter stays and smaller units Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd 16 Tuas Avenue 5, Singapore 639340 Malaysia Amid rising interest in the state, Selangor is giving stronger attention on promoting rural and ecotourism attractions Maldives A growing variety of accommo- dation options is opening up new market segments to the once-exclusive destination The Oakwood Showroom Travel Hall of Fame Since 2002, TTG Asia Media has honoured luminaries that have won the prestigious TTG Travel Award for at least 10 consecutive times for the same award title in the Travel Hall of Fame. At present, these exceptional organisations and their years of induction are: • Singapore Airlines (2002) • Singapore Changi Airport (2002) • Hertz Asia Pacific (2005) • Royal Cliff Hotels Group (2006) • Star Cruises (2008) • Sabre Travel Network Asia-Pacific (2009) • SilkAir (2010) • Lotte Tour (2011) • Hong Kong International Airport (2013) • Raffles Hotel Singapore (2013) • Regal Airport Hotel (2015) • Banyan Tree Spa (2015) • Qatar Airways (2016) • Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (2016) • Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (2016) • Royal Plaza on Scotts (2018) • Royal Caribbean International (2018) TTG Asia Media is pleased to announce that it has set up a virtual TTG Travel Hall of Fame (www.ttgtravelhof.com), which will enable us to showcase the accolades, artefacts and memorabilia of the region’s most exceptional travel organisations in a far more effective way and to a global audience.