TTG TRAVEL AWARDS 2018 SPECIAL EDITION 9
Travel Hall of Fame
The longer a man’s fame is likely to last, the later it will be in coming;
for all excellent products require time for their development.
– Arthur Schopenhauer
Singapore Airlines Singapore Changi
Airport Lotte Tour
W K Lim
Regional vice president, South-east Asia,
Singapore Airlines Oliver Kiesewetter
Vice president, airside operations,
Singapore Changi Airport Harry Baek
CEO and president,
Lotte Tour
How has your organisation stayed ahead of the
competition this year? How has your organisation stayed ahead of the
competition this year? How has your organisation stayed ahead of the
competition this year?
Our brand promise is based around the three
main pillars of product leadership, service excel-
lence and network connectivity. We have been
investing heavily in all three areas.
Over the past year we unveiled many new
developments, for example, a US$850 million
upgrade programme for our A380 cabin prod-
ucts, the introduction of the world’s first Boeing
787-10s with all-new cabin products and fully
lie-flat business class seats for regional routes,
and much more. This includes the planned
launch of new nonstop routes such as Singapore-
New York, which will be the world’s longest, as
well as nonstop flights to Los Angeles and more
nonstop services to San Francisco.
At the same time we have embarked on a
three-year transformation programme which is
well on track, with many initiatives bearing fruit
in terms of revenue generation and enhancement
of operational efficiency. Changi Airport has continued to put passengers
at the heart of everything we do since the airport
opened its doors in 1981.
Even as the airport continues to expand and
add new city links, it remains a hub of choice
where passengers can get the best connectivity to
the rest of the world. Shopping and dining op-
tions are constantly refreshed to bring excitement
and choice. As for facilities, they are carefully
designed to delight, just as our processes are in
place to ensure smooth operations. This year marks the 47th anniversary of Lotte
Tour’s establishment. We are looking back
over the past and planning for the future.
We are not afraid of new challenges and
overcoming difficulties.
In addition, we are building Jeju Dream
Tower, the biggest integrated resort in South
Korea. Jeju Dream Tower includes 1,600 rooms,
all suite rooms and Grand Hyatt Jeju will operate
the hotel. The Dream Tower is scheduled to
open end-2019.
Facing our continuous challenges allow us to
keep moving forward.
What factors are critical in bringing your organisa-
tion continually forward into the future?
We have always taken the view that we can never
rest on our laurels, and must always be invest-
ing heavily to continue delivering the world’s
best travel experience to our customers, while
ensuring we are constantly adapting to structural
change in our industry.
What can your trade partners and customers look
forward to in doing business with you in 2019?
With the arrival of the world’s first A350-900
ULR (Ultra Long Range) variant later this year,
SIA is set to launch the world’s longest com-
mercial flights, with nonstop services between
Singapore and New York.
We have also set our sights on becoming the
world’s leading digital airline with many digital
initiatives in place, such as the recent launch of
SIA’s Digital Innovation Blueprint, as well as
KrisPay, an innovative miles-based digital wallet.
What three factors are critical in bringing your
organisation continually forward into the future?
Investment in innovation and technology is a
must-have to stay on top of the game.
Besides hardware, we develop our people and
create opportunities for them to do their best.
We also continue to engage our entire airport
community so that every airport staff is working
towards the continued success of Changi.
What can your trade partners and customers look
forward to in doing business with you in 2019?
At Changi, we are constantly on the lookout for
new partners who can offer the next generation
of solutions, be it to improve productivity or to
bring greater convenience to our passengers.
With the airport buzzing with activity round
the clock, Changi Airport provides a live envi-
ronment with many data points to collect valu-
able data to improve what we bring passengers.
What three factors are critical in bringing your
organisation continually forward into the future?
Lotte Tour’s business strategies are ethical
management, sustainability management and
social contribution.
The most important thing in Lotte Tour is to
listen to customer’s opinions. We devote our-
selves to enhancing customer value and building
a customer-oriented management system. We
won the Korean Standardization Association’s
grand prize in the travel service sector for the
third year in a row since 2016. This indicates
that we engage in trust building with clients
and always focus on the customer’s convenience
and satisfaction.
What can your trade partners and customers look
forward to in doing business with you in 2019?
The year 2019 will be the 10th anniversary of
Lotte Tour’s charter cruises. Our charter cruises
have had a big impact on the development of
South Korea’s cruise industry. We believe our
charter cruises will contribute to the develop-
ment of South Korea’s, Asia’s and even the
world’s cruise industry.