Goa’s tourism growth story is gradually getting back on track as it has become the go-to holiday destination for domestic tourists since the state reopened post the second wave, according to a report by hotel consulting firm HVS.
Due to the limits on overseas travel, several outbound Indians are also choosing to vacation in Goa, added the report. As a result, occupancy has been steadily improving month after month, with September 2021 occupancy approaching pre-pandemic levels for the month and average rates surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
Other beach destinations in India should emulate Goa’s best strategies while avoiding its mistakes: HVS
With the government taking steps to welcome foreign tourists back, it is also expected that Goa, which is known as one of India’s top beach and nightlife destinations, may soon see a surge in demand from international tourists, allowing it to recover faster than most leisure destinations.
Moreover, the government intends to prioritise responsible and high-quality tourism over volume going forward, with plans in place to rebrand and remarket Goa as a diverse tourism destination.
However, even before the pandemic, Goa, which attracted approximately eight million tourists in 2019, was suffering from the negative impacts of overtourism, noted the study authors Mandeep S Lamba and Dipti Mohan.
“These challenges, particularly the rate of infrastructure development, are unlikely to be resolved very soon, giving India the opportunity to develop other untouched and unexplored beach destinations for tourists along its 7,500km coastline,” they said.
Already, the government is taking steps to transform the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, as well as Lakshadweep, into world-class tourism destinations comparable to the Maldives, Bali, and Mauritius, the authors noted.
“However, other upcoming tourist locations such as Bekal, Gokarna, Daman & Diu, Pondicherry, and Odisha, to mention a few, have not yet been able to draw their fair number of tourists,” they said.
“These destinations should reassess their positioning in order to climb up the hierarchy by emulating some of Goa’s best strategies while avoiding the state’s mistakes.”
The authors advised that authorities should evaluate global best practices and tourism models, and implement effective destination management strategies, so as to achieve a balance between tourism and sustainability.
They said: “Improving last-mile connectivity to these areas, building adequate infrastructure amenities, including quality hotel supply, and executing new marketing strategies, can help attract tourists looking for an alternative to Goa, while also helping reduce overtourism in Goa in the long run.”
It was while training as a resource person for the World Wildlife Fund in 2017 that Mitali G Dutta awakened to the potential of culinary and community-based tourism.
That led the Guwahati-based entrepreneur to set up FSM Food Trails, a food tour agency that runs culinary tours with training and dining concept in the national parks of Kaziranga and Manas, creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities in Assam state while promoting North-east India’s rich food cultural histories.
Dutta founded FSM Food Trails to create alternative livelihood opportunities for Assam’s rural communities
During these tours, rural women share different traditional recipes of local cuisines with tourists and host them for a meal.
“These tours are not merely focused on tantalising only the taste buds of food tourists or preserving the food-based customs and traditions of the rural communities but more about bringing a social change in the livelihoods of the communities,” explained Dutta, who also runs culinary venture Food Sutra by Mitali, which provides online and offline baking workshops and Assamese cooking classes in urban areas.
“One such successful social change that we could bring was to the wives of the former poachers near Manas National Park, who are getting empowered through their household skill of cooking and have converted it into a culinary tourism enterprise.”
Dutta added that the biggest challenge in the initial stage was to change these locals’ mindsets to accept their business concept, as culinary tours are a novel product in the state of Assam.
But continuous capacity-building activities conducted over a few years eventually built up their trust in the company’s vision and instilled an entrepreneurial mindset in them to execute these culinary tours.
To prepare these locals for hosting such tours, Dutta trains them in capacity building, digital promotions and market linkages, as well as hospitality and code of conduct to equip them to handle all types of tourists. About 60 women have benefitted from her training to date.
While survival used to be a struggle for these locals, this sustainable culinary tourism business model has imbued them with a newfound financial independence, and has created positive ripple effects for the whole community, shared Dutta.
“The entire village reaps benefits in different ways, like in our tours, visitors are taken for handloom experiences, farm and fishing experiences, rice-beer making experiences and other allied rural tourism experiences which are generating revenue incomes for everyone,” she said.
About 60 Assamese women have benefitted from Dutta’s training to prepare them for hosting culinary tours
Dutta was one of several women entrepreneurs from across India who were selected by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, for Women’s Day Recognition on March 8, 2021. Her concept of empowering rural communities in a sustainable fashion through culinary tourism has been lauded by celebrity chefs, renowned food bloggers and travel writers from India and abroad.
Since its inception in 2017, FSM Food Trails has hosted around 500 domestic and international tourists – with majority of the foreign guests hailing from European countries – during the peak seasons of October to March every year (due to heavy rainfall, the Manas and Kaziranga national parks remain closed from June to September for safety reasons).
These tours “religiously follow sustainable and responsible tourism principles”, said Dutta, adding that with the increasing adverse impacts of mass tourism, it is crucial for destinations like India to sharpen their focus on sustainability and community-based tourism.
Post-pandemic travellers are predicted to embrace pet travel, reunion trips, contactless experiences, culinary adventures and sustainable travel, according to Hilton’s new global trends report which examined how travellers’ needs and interests have shifted in the wake of the pandemic.
The 2022 Traveler: Emerging Trends and the Redefined Traveler, a Report from Hilton showcases how the hotel group is evolving alongside the changing traveller, in areas such as fitness, spa, F&B, design, amenities and loyalty programmes.
Increased interest in pet travel post-pandemic has led to the development of hotel pet amenities, perks and more
The report looks at how app workouts and new fitness routines have changed people’s approach to where, when and how they exercise on-the-road; how the increased focus on wellness is evolving the spa and hotel experience; and how the home baking trend is translating into more demand for culinary adventures.
It also examines how 18 months in lockdown is driving a renewed passion for a healthy planet, from sustainable food sourcing to waste reduction; how DIY improvements, plant-crazed hobbies and working from patios is changing people’s perspective of hotel design; how the rise in pet ownership during the pandemic is leading to increased interest in pet travel and the development of hotel pet amenities, perks and more; as well as how the rise of loyalty programmes – across all sectors – is leading to better personalisation and benefits to customers.
As well, Hilton’s report highlights travel and behavioural trends among post-pandemic travellers, including a greater focus on convenience in their travels, like contactless check-in and check-out and digital keys. With a reimagined workplace and new routines and habits in place, travellers will also be looking to integrate wellness experiences into their travel plans.
People are anticipated to pack their passions, driving demand for new trends in fitness, culinary options and unique travel experiences. There is also a prioritisation of reunion and reconnection travel in 2022, with the pandemic having separated families and friends.
Beyond their inner circles, travellers are also expected to care more about sustainability and community efforts – and are looking to remain loyal to brands and companies that align with their values.
Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) has appointed Evelyn Wong Soo Pin as vice president, finance, tax & IT, Asia Pacific, to drive the company’s transformation strategy.
In her new role, Wong will be responsible for all financial and accountancy matters in the region, including overseeing business transactions and strategic investments, developing financial strategies and leading the regional finance team.
She will also spearhead the group’s digital transformation, which is centered around Emma, RHG’s new advanced global technology platform, which integrates property management systems, reservations, distribution, sales, loyalty programmes and more.
A Singaporean with more than 20 years of professional experience, Wong is a registered chartered accountant in Singapore, and joins RHG from SGX-listed Amos Group, where she held the role of CFO.
Wong’s career commenced in 1997 with KPMG, one of the world’s leading financial services companies. Since then, she has held senior positions with companies in various sectors, from oil and gas, freight and logistics to security management, recruitment and more.
Her regional experience encompasses multiple countries, including Australia, Egypt, Greater China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam.
Wong will be based at RHG’s Asia Pacific regional head office in Singapore, and she is a member of the company’s Asia Pacific Executive Committee.
The Slate, a beachfront resort on Phuket’s northwest coast, has appointed Claude Sauter as its new general manager.
A Swiss national, Sauter is a consummate hospitality professional, with 24 years of industry-specific managerial experience in Phuket. Most recently, he was general manager of The Surin Phuket for over six years.
Sauter first arrived in Phuket in 1997, where he held the role of resident manager of Impiana Resort Patong. Following five years with Impiana, he achieved his first general manager role with Cape & Kantary Hotels, leading the Cape Panwa Hotel in south-east Phuket.
He has since headed up several major properties in Phuket and neighbouring Phang Nga province for international hotel groups including Wyndham and Marco Polo.
Imagine walking through airport security gates to the departure hall and boarding your flight without ever using your passport or plane ticket. There is no waiting in line at long, snaking queues at checkpoints. Instead, your identity is verified through facial biometrics as you glide through the terminal.
Such is poised to be the reality in the post-pandemic world, where automation and biometrics will reshape air travel. Airports, airlines and regulatory authorities are working to redefine the air passenger experience by harnessing touchless and automated solutions that will reduce bottlenecks and ensure traveller safety.
SITA has partnered with NEC Corporation to enhance the touchless travel experience at airports around the world
As the aviation industry starts to rebuild following the pandemic, SITA has played a key role in supporting governments, airports and airlines in the recovery process by delivering frictionless passenger processing through technology and automation.
SITA earlier this year rolled out Health Protect, an industry-wide solution that allows passengers to safely and securely share Covid-19 test results or vaccination history with airlines, airports and governments.
The technology can seamlessly integrate with multiple travel pass or health passport schemes, bridging the gap between these schemes and aviation and border processes.
By incorporating Advance Passenger Processing, the solution enables authorities to make an informed decision on whether a passenger can travel ahead of check-in, improving the safety of all passengers and avoiding costly return flights.
Since last November, the Australian government has used SITA technology to enable travellers to supply digital contact and journey information, and complete an electronic health declaration in advance of travel.
Biometric boarding takes off
While the deployment of smart solutions like biometric technologies has been well underway at international airports in recent years, its ability to facilitate a more touchless travel experience has fast-tracked its adoption in the pandemic’s wake.
According to SITA’s 2020 Air Transport IT Insights report, while airlines and airports have significantly curtailed their spending, touchless technology remains a high investment priority between now and 2023.
SITA has seen some of its biggest high-technology rollouts in the past two years, as it helps turn touchless passenger journeys into a reality for airports in Asia-Pacific such as Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) and Sydney Airport.
In what it calls its “most extensive biometric deployment to date”, SITA has outfitted BCIA with its Smart Path facial recognition solution to create a fully contactless experience for passengers at the world’s second busiest airport.
The technology allows passengers to enrol once during check-in, and then use their biometric ID across multiple touchpoints, with their face as a boarding pass.
BCIA’s deployment included the installation of over 600 biometric checkpoints across the airport, comprising 250 lanes of automatic gates, 80 kiosks, 30 self-bag drop stations to process passengers from international flights, and more.
Smart Path has been activated across multiple checkpoints at BCIA including manual check-in, self-service check-in, bag drop, security and boarding. The technology can significantly speed up passenger flows, processing over 400 passengers boarding an aircraft in under 20 minutes.
Improved efficiency means shorter queues that help maintain social distancing. The process also minimises physical contact, reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission.
Similarly, Sydney Airport has deployed SITA technology to support its post-Covid recovery. Through a five-year technology deal signed with SITA in March, Sydney Airport will gain 600 common-use touchpoints across its two terminals to enable a smarter passenger experience and operational efficiency for the airport.
SITA Flex, one of the technologies being employed at the airport, is a mobile-enabled, common-use platform that facilitates contactless passenger processing through cloud technology.
The solution also includes SITA Bag Message, doing away with the need for multiple baggage system interfaces between airlines and airports. The hub-and-spoke solution eliminates the cost of implementing multiple airline interfaces to connect to airport baggage system vendors. SITA provides similar services to five of the largest seven airports in the Australia Pacific region.
In July, SITA sealed a partnership with Japanese technology firm NEC Corporation to develop digital identity solutions that enable a walk-through experience at airports, leveraging NEC’s I:Delight identity management platform together with SITA Smart Path and SITA Flex.
The partnership will allow passengers to use their biometric digital identity on their mobile phone at every step of their travel journey by simply scanning their face.
Although technology investments can add agility to an airport’s operations, the significant costs involved in deployment might stand in the way of greater adoption, especially with the pandemic pushing many airports into the red.
In this regard, for airports looking to automate operations, SITA is not looking at “reinventing the wheel” but rather implementing a “hybrid solution” that builds on the current system, SITA president Asia-Pacific, Sumesh Patel, noted during an online media roundtable organised by the company.
For instance, SITA Smart Path can be easily integrated with existing airport and airline infrastructure.
“So, if (the airport) has a check-in counter, we just augment that with an additional facial camera, so (passengers) can have a walk-through experience. And (the airport) doesn’t need to build or…buy hundreds of new kiosks,” said Patel.
He added that even if airports can only automate 50 per cent of their processes, it would still make a difference in terms of improving their operational efficiency and reducing costs in the long run.
Qatar Airways brings touch-free entertainment onboard
Airlines joining the fray
As touchless technology takes off, airlines like Etihad Airways and AirAsia are also boarding the digital bandwagon.
Since September, AirAsia has made self-check-in mandatory for all guests via the AirAsia Super App, an all-in-one app that allows guests to manage their entire travel journey – from flight and hotel bookings, check-in, and health document verification through to boarding and inflight services onboard.
The Malaysian airline has also partnered with analytics company GrayMatter to deploy an AI-based technology solution, dubbed Scan2Fly, that allows passengers to upload their relevant health documentation during online self-check-in for real-time verification of their eligibility to fly before heading to the airport. The system has been deployed on routes from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Surabaya and Jakarta.
AirAsia has also collaborated with Vision-Box to deploy several enhancements, including automated bag drop services; roving technology for temperature checks; and biometric facial recognition technology FACES (Fast Airport Clearance Experience System).
Japan’s airlines are also using facial recognition technology to streamline passenger processing. Since July, Japan’s two major airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Airways, have implemented Face Express, a new boarding procedure using facial recognition technology developed by Narita International Airport Corporation and Tokyo International Airport Terminal.
Upon registering a photo of their face at the airport’s automatic check-in machine, passengers can proceed with boarding procedures without presenting their boarding ticket or passport.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways is set to become the first global airline to bring the touchless experience to its in-flight entertainment system across its Airbus A350 fleet.
The zero-touch technology, introduced in partnership with the Thales AVANT IFE system, will enable passengers to pair their personal electronic devices with their seatback IFE screen by connecting to Wi-Fi and scanning a QR code on the screen.
They can then use their devices to choose from more than 4,000 options on offer through the airline’s Oryx One in-flight entertainment system, limiting the frequency of onboard surface contact and providing greater peace of mind during the journey.
More than 300 tourism stakeholders have signed up to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action, which recognises the urgent need for a globally consistent plan for climate action in tourism.
Signatories, which include Accor, Asian Ecotourism Network, Intrepid Travel, and Skyscanner, commit to measure, decarbonise, regenerate and unlock finance. Additionally, each signatory commits to deliver a concrete climate action plan, or updated plan, within 12 months of signing.
Tourism stakeholders supporting the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action will deliver a concrete climate action plan, or updated plan, within 12 months of signing
Speaking at the ongoing 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili stressed that “while many private businesses have led the way in advancing climate action, a more ambitious sector-wide approach is needed to ensure tourism accelerates climate action in a meaningful way”.
He added that “the Glasgow Declaration is a tool to help bridge the gap between good intentions and meaningful climate action”.
The Glasgow Declaration was developed through the collaboration of UNWTO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Visit Scotland, the Travel Foundation, and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme committed to accelerate sustainable consumption and production patterns.
“WTTC is delighted to be a supporter and launch partner to the Glasgow Declaration and thereby add our voice, the voice of the global private sector, to this important collective call for heightened ambition in the travel and tourism sector. The Glasgow Declaration is a real opportunity for travel and tourism to unite and show true leadership as we strive towards Net Zero”, said Julia Simpson, president and CEO, WTTC.
“Through the Glasgow Declaration, the One Planet Network‘s Sustainable Tourism Programme offers a common platform to catalyse climate action in tourism. This Initiative is fundamental to create the right momentum to accelerate climate action in tourism through sustainable consumption and production”, said Jorge Laguna-Celis, head of the One Planet Network Secretariat, economy division, UNEP.
The launch event at COP26 featured a panel discussion underscoring the importance of increased climate action and ambition in the tourism sector, with contributions from David W Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia; Iván Eskildsen, tourism minister for Panama; Jan Christian Vestre, minister of trade and industry for Norway; Patrick Child, deputy director general for the Environment at the European Commission; Darrell Wade, co-founder and chairman, Intrepid Group; Jeremy Smith, co-founder of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency; and WTTC’s Simpson.
Sabre Corporation has released the first two products in the company’s Retail Intelligence suite – Sabre Air Price IQ and Sabre Ancillary IQ for the dynamic pricing of airfare and ancillaries, respectively.
Powered by Sabre Travel AI, which integrates Sabre technology with Google Cloud’s artificial intelligence (AI) technology and advanced machine-learning services, Retail Intelligence enables airlines to dynamically provide offers to travellers based on preferences, marketplace insights and purchase probability.
Sabre’s new Retail Intelligence solutions allow airlines to create a more personalised traveller experience
Sabre Travel AI is a creation of the Sabre + Google Innovation Framework, formed through Sabre’s strategic partnership with Google.
“We are facing a rapidly changing world and the travel ecosystem looks very different than it did just 18 months ago,” said Wade Jones, chief product officer, Sabre Travel Solutions.
“Traveller expectations for relevant and personalised offers are growing, and airlines are more focused than ever on becoming sophisticated retailers. Relying on traditional strategies based on historical data patterns isn’t enough – airlines need intelligent solutions driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning. This is what we are offering with Sabre’s Retail Intelligence suite of products.”
Sabre Air Price IQ increases airlines’ pricing agility and precision by allowing airlines to adapt quickly to changing marketplace conditions. Considering traveller segment and trip intent from the shopping request, the product supports an airline’s efforts to maximise revenue opportunities while providing a seamless experience to travellers.
Sabre Ancillary IQ uses machine learning to present ancillary offers based on multiple factors, including real-time shopping data and purchase probability to increase incremental revenue opportunities and traveller satisfaction. As a result, airlines can deliver increased value and more choice to their travellers.
The products are expected to boost airlines’ incremental revenue by up to three per cent when combined with upcoming products being added to the Retail Intelligence suite in 2022.
Sundar Narasimhan, president, Sabre Labs and Product Strategy, said: “As travel retailing becomes more complex to meet increasingly sophisticated consumer expectations, the rules-based technology in use across the industry today will no longer deliver satisfactory results.
“To truly modernise travel retailing, the industry requires intelligent systems that allow for continuous learning and scaling at speed. At Sabre, we are focused on equipping our customers with those AI-based solutions that will modernise the way we shop, book and experience travel, delivering incremental value for our customers and the travellers they serve.”
Sabre and Google are developing other innovative new technology that delivers modern, data-driven, omni-channel solutions that enable highly personalised traveller experiences.
The Indonesia government has announced further easing of entry restrictions for international travellers, and will add facilities to improve the quarantine experience for visitors.
Fully vaccinated travellers may now enter the country with a negative PCR test results, and serve a shortened quarantine period of three days instead of five as well as take a mandatory PCR test on the last day of their isolation.
Indonesia has cut quarantine duration for fully vaccinated international travellers and is preparing harbour gateways in Bali, Batam and Bintan
Travellers with only one shot of vaccine will be required to undergo five days of isolation and a mandatory PCR test on the fourth day of their quarantine.
In addition, the government has teamed up with the Association of Leisure Boats Network to offer the Live on Board (LOB) programme for fully vaccinated travellers to utilise during their quarantine, revealed Sandiaga Uno, minister of tourism and creative economy.
Some 38 boats have signed up for the programme.
Rizki Handayani, deputy of tourism products and MICE, said the boats are checked to ensure they abide by Indonesia’s Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability protocols.
She added that with the LOB programme, travellers may cruise around during their quarantine. Disembarkation will only be allowed when they present negative PCR test results on the last day of their quarantine.
Sharing further insights on the government’s plans to restart tourism, Sandiaga said his office has proposed travel lanes with eight more low-risk countries – Austria, Australia, Denmark, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Russia, the Netherlands, and Germany – to benefit Bali.
Besides entry via the airport, preparations are underway to establish Bali’s Benoa harbour as an international gateway.
Elsewhere in the country, the harbours of Batam and Bintan are also being prepared to facilitate international arrivals via cruises and yachts.
Commenting on the latest announcements, Jongki Adiyasa, executive director of Ina Leisure Tour and Travel, said the combination of a shortened quarantine with the LOB programme “made sense” and is “saleable”, but added that enforcement of safety protocol onboard is questionable.
The Japanese government is expected to reopen international borders to transient business travellers and visitors arriving for education and technical training as soon as this month, according to a report by Nikkei.
Tourists will be excluded in the initial immigration policy change, which has been in place since January 2021 to curb the spread of more-contagious coronavirus variants.
Japan may permit the entry of foreign business travellers and students as early as this month
The quarantine requirement for short-term business travellers will be reduced from 10 days to just three, although companies and organisations will be required to monitor the activities of their foreign guests.
The shorter quarantine requirement will also apply to Japanese nationals returning from business trips abroad.
According to Nikkei, Tokyo is prepared to reimpose tighter controls quickly if new variants emerge overseas.
More than 300 tourism stakeholders have signed up to the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action, which recognises the urgent need for a globally consistent plan for climate action in tourism.
Signatories, which include Accor, Asian Ecotourism Network, Intrepid Travel, and Skyscanner, commit to measure, decarbonise, regenerate and unlock finance. Additionally, each signatory commits to deliver a concrete climate action plan, or updated plan, within 12 months of signing.
Speaking at the ongoing 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili stressed that “while many private businesses have led the way in advancing climate action, a more ambitious sector-wide approach is needed to ensure tourism accelerates climate action in a meaningful way”.
He added that “the Glasgow Declaration is a tool to help bridge the gap between good intentions and meaningful climate action”.
The Glasgow Declaration was developed through the collaboration of UNWTO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Visit Scotland, the Travel Foundation, and Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency, within the framework of the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme committed to accelerate sustainable consumption and production patterns.
“WTTC is delighted to be a supporter and launch partner to the Glasgow Declaration and thereby add our voice, the voice of the global private sector, to this important collective call for heightened ambition in the travel and tourism sector. The Glasgow Declaration is a real opportunity for travel and tourism to unite and show true leadership as we strive towards Net Zero”, said Julia Simpson, president and CEO, WTTC.
“Through the Glasgow Declaration, the One Planet Network‘s Sustainable Tourism Programme offers a common platform to catalyse climate action in tourism. This Initiative is fundamental to create the right momentum to accelerate climate action in tourism through sustainable consumption and production”, said Jorge Laguna-Celis, head of the One Planet Network Secretariat, economy division, UNEP.
The launch event at COP26 featured a panel discussion underscoring the importance of increased climate action and ambition in the tourism sector, with contributions from David W Panuelo, president of the Federated States of Micronesia; Iván Eskildsen, tourism minister for Panama; Jan Christian Vestre, minister of trade and industry for Norway; Patrick Child, deputy director general for the Environment at the European Commission; Darrell Wade, co-founder and chairman, Intrepid Group; Jeremy Smith, co-founder of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency; and WTTC’s Simpson.