Indonesia tourism stakeholders are taking steps to resume business in the new normal, as president Joko Widodo shared a welcome decision to gradually allow businesses to reopen and for his people to learn to live with Covid-19.

Without a vaccine, Cleanliness, Health and Safety (CHS) will become an important focus for travellers when considering a trip, opined Wishnutama Kusubandio, Indonesia minister of tourism and creative economy.

“We are working hard to formulate a protocol to speed up the recovery of tourism in the country,” he added.

Bali will pilot the new CHS protocol before it is rolled out across Indonesia, according to the minister.

Nia Niscaya, deputy of marketing with the Tourism and Creative Economy Board, projected that attraction capacity would be impacted by social distancing concerns and requirements.

“(One of the) new challenges for tourist destinations is therefore to rearrange the flow and determine the capacity allowed for attractions and supporting facilities,” she said.

At press time, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MOTCE) is working with the Ministry of Health and related agencies to finalise new standard operating procedures (SOP) and certification for the industry.

The new SOP is part of the tourism authority’s three-phase recovery plan.

The emergency response phase will last until June 2020, and thereafter the recovery phase will take over from July to December. The normalising phase is expected to set in by January 2021.

“The communications strategy that we have been using during the emergency response period focuses on education and campaigns related to Covid-19 through our social media platforms. In addition, we have been providing market updates for industry players in Indonesia and overseas through webinars,” shared Nia.

These updates, which contain information on destinations and products as well as CHS measures, are being communicated through Visit Indonesia Tourism Officers (VITOs) in places such as France, Germany and China.

Content is tailored to specific markets, pointed out Nia.

Citing an example, she said that while Bali is a major destination for the Australian market, buyers that have requested for more updates on lesser known areas such as West and North Bali and even Banyuwangi, a destination in East Java which is gaining popularity among international travellers to Indonesia.

When asked to paint a picture of how tourism recovery would look for Indonsia, Nia said domestic travel would return before the regional and international markets.

Bali, Yogyakarta and Riau Islands would likely see the initial wave of returning tourists. As such, they will be promoted by the tourism authority in the first stage of recovery efforts.

Nia said: “Bali is obviously on top of travellers’ mind and will be the biggest contributor of arrivals to Indonesia. (Bali will also catch the first group of returning tourists because it) has managed to curb (the spread of Covid-19) cases earlier than the rest of the country.”

Besides Bali, Yogyakarta is a favourite among domestic travellers while Riau Islands is a hit with Singapore and Malaysian markets, explained Nia.

During the recovery phase, the MOTCE will run activities such as joint promotions with travel companies and airlines, and familiarisation trips highlighting the readiness of destinations in the new normal.

Destinations and tourist attractions are eager to respond to the government’s call for preparation.

Yanuar Bramuda, head of Banyuwangi Tourism and Culture Office, said in a webinar: “We have established the Nursing Tourism Programme, a collaboration between the Banyuwangi Regency government and the National Nurses Association in 2019, before this outbreak. The programme does not only take care of travellers who fall sick during their visit but also develop Banyuwangi as a healthy destination (defined as having a clean environment, hygienic facilities and healthy food products).”

The Recreational Park Management of Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko Temples (TWC) has started implementing health protocol since March, according to Hetty Herawati, its director of marketing.

The parks are currently closed but Hetty said the management has come up with SOPs that will kick in once the government lifts the compulsory closure.

The SOPs will include a cap on visitor numbers, temperature checks and provision of hand sanitisers around the temple complex.

“During the closure we have installed more signs in several languages to convey self-distancing reminders in restaurants and at sales counters,” Hetty added.

Jawa Timur Park Group, which manages several theme parks in Batu, East Java, has also used the downtime to develop new rides and adding areas for washing and hand sanitising.

Yokka Rismadora, Jawa Timur Park Group’s spokesperson, told TTG Asia that there was a silver lining in the quiet business period – Batu Secret Zoo, Eco Green Park and Predator Fun Park welcomed several new babies from rare animal species.

But before the park gates can reopen, Jawa Timur Park Group is bringing visions of its premises and animal residents to travellers though virtual tours on social media platforms.

“The word luxury is out; we’ve reached the age where it’s very unfashionable to be pretentious.” These words, uttered by Leanne Reddie Hucker, director of sales & marketing, Rosewood Bangkok, at the Thailand Tourism Forum in Bangkok on January 20, days before Wuhan shut itself down in a bid to contain the coronavirus, have taken on new meaning in the pandemic’s wake as the crisis has upended the luxury travel industry, and spurred greater demand for more targeted and personalised services.

“There is no question we have entered a new era of defining the traveller. The one-size-fits-all approach is not going to work anymore,” Hucker added. “Memory creation, personalised experiences are in. The key to the heart of a new luxury consumer is personal relevance.”

Little did she know how much weight her words, spoken before a thousand hoteliers and travel industry professionals in a ballroom at the Intercontinental Bangkok, would carry in the following months, as no one could have predicted how the burgeoning Covid-19 crisis would instantly transform how the world defines luxury.

But the crisis offers hotels themselves a luxury – the luxury of time to rethink themselves and refine essences and brand messages, said Laurel Tuohy, deputy content director at Bangkok-based hospitality brand consultation agency QUO.

“Although it’s a scary and uncertain time, I think that, looked at with a certain optimism, high-end hotels and brands can use this down time well. It’s the perfect chance for brands to reassess who they are, how they’ve changed and what differentiates them from the rest,” she stated.

QUO is hosting a series of podcasts titled the Future of Travel, in which themes of simplicity, radical localism and less crowding have emerged, with the new luxury defined by authentic local experiences, integration of technology and wellbeing as core components of a hotel’s offer.

These are themes that many of Bangkok’s luxury hotels are focusing on as they prepare to relaunch. As part of its efforts in stepping up sanitation to tackle the new normal, Rosewood Bangkok’s Hucker said the hotel “will heighten existing health and safety techniques, policies, and procedures”.

Elsewhere, at the opulent 285-room Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, whose scheduled May opening has been pushed to 3Q2020, Aaishah Bohari, director of sales and marketing told TTG Asia: “The pandemic has changed the world’s views and expectations of travel which directly impacts the choices people will make when they can travel again.”

Speaking of the hotel’s 4,000m² of wellness facilities and carefully designed health-centric programmes, she added: “At our hotel, well-being is at the heart of every guest experience. Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is designed in every sense with comfort and well-being in mind. Health or wellness has taken centre stage and this allows us to enter an already crowded market with a point of differentiation that is relevant and important – more so now – to discerning travellers.”

“We are now planning a series of campaigns leading to our opening later this year, from beautiful performances specific to various service touchpoints that are unique to the Kempinski DNA to inclusive dining experiences where every culinary ethos is embraced.”

Localisation is a strong theme at another long-awaited luxury opening: Capella Bangkok, situated in cultural hotspot Charoenkrung overlooking the Chao Phraya river. It is now slated for an end-of-year opening due to the coronavirus crisis. “By promising ‘Crafted Moments, Steeped in Tradition’, our new-age urban resort maintains a great connection with the local community,” said John Blanco, its general manager, of the hotel’s plans to draw luxury travellers.

“The hotel’s Capella Culturist team will assist to craft original and inspiring experiences around the neighbourhood’s highlights for food, wellness and culture, allowing guests to discover their inner selves with energising alfresco activities during their stay.”

Other luxury properties are making use of the downtime to upskill their staff. At the Hotel Villa De Pranakorn – Sam Yod district’s first five-star boutique hotel which opened in February – for instance, kitchen staff have been undergoing cooking courses, while accountants are brushing up their computer software skills.

“As we are a new hotel, this break gives us time for staff training and making sure we have more knowledge and experience, so we will be ready when we are back in business,” shared Erik Lannge, general manager of the luxury heritage hotel.

At the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, one of the city’s most established luxury fortresses, a special taskforce has been set up to reimagine the new normal after Covid-19, and adapt its services and products to meet evolving guest needs.

“This (crisis) is going to require us to rethink and redesign the way we operate and accelerate the green and sustainable transformations initiated in the past,” said its general manager Edouard Demptos.

“Additional precautionary measures such as social distancing capacity in event venues and restaurants are being developed so that guests are assured that it’s safe to meet and stay at Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok. To communicate all our efforts, we are preparing a holistic marketing communications plan that is digitally-driven and customer-centric.”

Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand (Air NZ) is working on making lie-flat beds in economy class a reality, in what would be an industry-first move to shake up the base offering of rival airlines. A launch isn’t confirmed but Air NZ appears to be in the final stages of developing the Economy Skynest after three years of research and testing at their Hangar 22 innovation centre in Auckland.

The Skynest accommodates six full-length bookable sleeping pods, each equipped with a full-sized pillow, sheets and blanket, ear plugs, privacy curtains and lighting designed for sleep. Other features are also being explored, including a separate reading light, a USB outlet for personal devices, and an improved ventilation outlet.

“The scale of the challenge in developing the Economy Skynest and working through its certification with the necessary regulators is immense, but we believe it is a prize worth chasing and one that we think has the potential to
be a game changer for the industry,” said a spokesperson
at Air NZ.

“If successful, we expect other airlines to explore licensing the Economy Skynest from us just as they have with the Economy Skycouch,” he continued, referring to another innovation introduced in 2010 that effectively combined three economy seats and turning them into a couch.

Air NZ also prides itself in providing gate-to-gate inflight entertainment, the ability to order food and drinks from passenger touchscreens, and its own AI chatbot Oscar which can answer commonly asked questions about flight, baggage, lounge and Airpoints.

But would the Skynest cannibalise Air NZ’s business class offering? The airline doesn’t think so. “The Economy Skynest is tailored for economy travellers and clearly differentiated from our business class offerings,” said the spokesperson.

“It is envisaged to be an added option for economy passengers where they will be able to book a session in the pod and still have their seats for the remaining portions of the flight. A clear pain point for economy travellers on longhaul flights is the inability to stretch out, and the development of the Economy Skynest is a direct response to that feedback,” he concluded. – Adelaine Ng

ANA
Japan’s largest airline is boosting efficiency, comfort and barrier-free facilities on the ground. ANA rolled out the range of new offerings in March to improve passenger experience.

For international departures at Haneda Airport Terminal 2, self-service baggage drops with capability in seven languages have been installed. Smart lanes that allow four customers to use baggage screening lanes simultaneously are in place to reduce security waiting times.

There is also wheelchair-accessible counter and streamlined check-in for passengers who need special assistance.

Four new lounges have been opened, three at Haneda and one at Narita International Airport.

At Haneda, the 360-pax ANA Suite Lounge focuses on privacy and relaxation as well as made-to-order F&B. Its reception area features a Japanese garden and bamboo forest, designed to promote a calming atmosphere. The Napping Area features six beds and five reclining chairs as well as a private area with booths fitted with televisions.

In the Live Kitchen, chefs serve omelets in the morning and nigiri sushi in the evening, while the Bar prepares coffee by day and more than 20 kinds of cocktails at night.

The 900-pax ANA Lounge also has a Live Kitchen and Bar as well as 24 booths offering semi-seclusion and a kids’ room.

Open from 04.30 to 12.30, the ANA Arrival Lounge has a footbath with an ocean view and 18 shower rooms, two of which are barrier-free. It also serves light meals and beverages.

At Narita, the ANA Lounge is located in Satellite 2, catering to passengers departing from farther gates or taking a bus to their aircraft.

“Ensuring that passengers can easily access one of ANA’s lounges no matter where they are located in the airport exemplifies ANA’s commitment to Japanese hospitality and passenger convenience,” commented Hideki Kunugi, executive vice president of ANA, on the lounge’s location. – Kathryn Wortley

Emirates
One of Emirates’ most recent innovations is its biometric path at Terminal 3 of the Dubai International Airport.

Utilising the latest biometric technology, comprising a mix of facial and iris recognition, Emirates passengers will be able to check in for their flight, complete immigration formalities, enter the Emirates Lounge, and board their flights. Notably, this is a world-first for passport control, where passengers are “cleared” by immigration authorities without human intervention or the need for a physical passport stamp.

This technology can be found at select check-in counters, at the Emirates Lounge in Concourse B for premium passengers, and at select boarding gates. For instance, customers flying from Dubai to any of its 12 destinations in the US can benefit from this service, reducing the time taken for identity checks.

The Dubai-headquartered airline also adopts a customer-centric, technology-enabled approach to enhance a passenger’s travel experience through big data, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, crowd sourcing and collaboration.

In 2018, Emirates introduced 3D seat models on emirates.com, becoming the first airline to introduce web virtual reality (VR) technology on its digital platform. In 2019, Emirates introduced a new function on its app to allow customers to create bespoke playlists ahead of their flight and sync it to their seats once on board.

Big data is also used to better understand an individual passenger’s needs and predict what they would want for a personalised flight experience. For example, flight attendants have access to tablets onboard filled with data gleaned from its website and the 25 million members of the frequent flyer programme, Emirates Skywards.

Regardless of cabin class, all customers can look forward to savouring regionally-inspired and diet-specific meals, to enjoying over 4,500 channels of on-demand audio and visual entertainment in multiple languages on its inflight entertainment system, ice.

On the ground, Emirates’ airport lounges are an integral part of the airline’s service and product offering for its premium and loyal customers.

The Emirates First and Business Class lounge at Changi Airport, for example, was designed with a focus on comfort and quality, offering facilities such as LED TVs, showers, a business centre as well as a dedicated dining area which features an extensive menu of complimentary hot and cold dishes.

First and Business Class passengers can enjoy complimentary chauffeur service the airline offers in over 75 cities worldwide, for a seamless journey from start to finish. Those travelling with young children meanwhile, will benefit from dedicated and faster check-ins, complimentary strollers, family baggage allowance and early bag drop-off when they travel via Dubai International Airport. – Rachel AJ Lee