PPS 619/02/2013(022926) No. 1710/August 8, 2014 40 years of Asian travel & tourism 8aug ttgAsia P01 cover-JUL24 FINAL.indd 1 24/7/14 10:44 am TTG40ANNIv3.pdf 2 7/17/14 5:03 PM C M Y ROYAL PLAZA CM MY ON SCOTTS CY turns CMY K FORTY Leaving 40 years of footprints. Thank you for joining us on the journey. 25 Scotts Road Singapore 228220 www.royalplaza.com.sg Tel: (65) 6737 7966 Fax: (65) 6737 6646 Email: [email protected] Advertorial Showing Off a New Look at 40 RP TTG advertorial.indd 2 7/21/14 5:05 PM Contents & foreword Trade tales 05 CEO views 10 Game changers 26 Infographics 48 Under 40 64 3426 42 Game changers: Game changers: Game changers: Finale 70 airlines airports products WE TURN 40 Dear readers, We invite you to journey with us through 40 years of Since the advent of the Internet and technology, peo- Asian travel and tourism with this special edition that ple have said that travel agencies are dying, publishing marks the 40th anniversary of TTG Asia, our flagship is dying, the meetings business is dying, and on and on publication. they go. Yes and no. When I joined the company in 1984, travel was rather Sure, many travel agencies have closed, but many are dominated by Western travellers looking east. Tour op- also thriving like never before. Video-conferencing has erators and travel agencies ruled travel sales. Alliances not replaced meetings. And in the four decades since the among national carriers were unthinkable, so was the first TTG Asia was issued, we have had our fair share notion that flying could be a low-cost affair. And who of competitors and today these include the new media. then would dare bet a wager that competing hotel But we are still standing – constantly revamping our brands, like Le Méridien, Sheraton and Westin, would print titles, launching new ones, embracing new media one day be part of the same family? and going into new businesses such as the launch of There have been many changes. But if you ask me Roomonger.com recently. to pick two of the most profound changes, they would Why hasn’t technology displaced everything? I be- have to be the rise of the Asian travel market and the ad- lieve that whenever ‘people’ are involved in a business, vent of technology, as both have cut the deepest impact technology cannot completely replace that business. I DARREN NG on your business, and on ours (inextricably linked that believe completely in the word ‘trust’ and that people MANAGING DIRECTOR we are). Till today, we are still benefiting and challenged trust other people and not machines. And of course it at the same time by these two forces, as you have read in is also because there are always players in the industry TTG ASIA MEDIA every issue of TTG Asia in the past 10 to 15 years. with enormous 40tude capacity to change and adapt in This is why we chose the theme, 40tude, for our 40th order to survive. anniversary celebrations. It brings to mind two key On that note, I wish you lots of 40tude. Enjoy this 40th words, ‘fortitude’ and ‘attitude’, which we think encap- special edition, which was conceptualised by our sen- sulate the state of the industry and hint at the qualities ior editor, Raini Hamdi, and deputy group editor and needed for survival: courage in adversity, bravery, en- TTG Asia editor, Gracia Chiang. On behalf of the entire durance, moral fibre, individuality and self-confidence, TTG Asia Media team, thank you for your loyalty and just to name a few aspects of these two words. support all these years. TTG ASIA EDITORS PAST AND PRESENT “I joined TTG Asia in 1992 as senior reporter and “Before I entered the tourism industry, my mindset was its editor for many years. In my time, we didn’t was similar to many of my Millennial peers: Why use have acronyms like BFF or ICYMI, and cloud really a travel agency when you can plan your holidays us- was something to do with the skies, not that which ing the Internet? After four years of getting to know enables us to work from anywhere today. We also did the trade and covering its latest developments, I am not have the ability to fact check or research the way convinced that there is definitely a market for travel we do today with the Internet, or hound our contacts consultants – but only if they keep innovating and through more ways than just the phone. Technology making themselves valuable. I am happy that TTG is a blessing for us journalists!” Asia is able to play a role in championing this.” RAINI HAMDI, Senior Editor, TTG Asia Media GRACIA CHIANG, Deputy Group Editor & TTG Asia Editor 40tude-Content(ky)RHgcmy.indd 4 22/7/14 2:32 pm 08.08.2014 TTG Asia 5 Trade tales Clockwise from top: Richard Willis doing his signature number, My Way; Singapore Tourism Industry Ball at the Singapore Zoo; all ready to sell travel – Lotus Tour Hong Kong reception desk BLAST FROM Interviews by Raini Hamdi, Prudence Lui, Rosa Ocampo, Greg Lowe and THE PAST S Puvaneswary In the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, the Far East was still new. working in competition to operators, doing their How was travel sold? Why There was a real sense of discovery, not just in sourc- utmost to attract direct customers. ing new products but also in explaining the appeal On client habits, the biggest change is, in the past was it fun? What made it to clients. In many areas, you were just looking at a there was an appreciation of your time and knowl- handful of hotels whereas now you have over 100. edge – and almost a guilt factor should the book- memorable? Tourism and At most hotels, you were dealing with a director ing not proceed. It is vastly different now. Clients of sales who could make instant decisions and had now seem to think of the trade as a free consulta- hospitality veterans reminisce the full trust of the owners. This was way before rig- tion service, to verify what they might have heard the good old days with id automation/yield controllers came into fashion! or read. There is no embarrassment about taking an It was fun as you could be creative and innovative, it hour of your time without the ‘reward’ of a booking. anecdotes that will make you was not just sold on the lowest price. Ironically this is coming from clients who in their There was more unity and cooperation between own professions charge by the hour (e.g. lawyers, gasp in disbelief and ponder the operators, hotels and airlines. We all wanted the doctors, etc). Due to the Internet, everyone seems business, but the hotels felt the best way to sell their to be an ‘expert’, but with extremely selective vision whether the industry has product was through the tour operator. Hardly any and hearing! – David Kevan, director, Chic Loca- clients booked direct with hotels. tions UK on how the overall business of selling travel changed for the better Obviously the introduction of the web changed has changed. Read on for more personal reflections much of this, and now hotels almost seem to be by Kevan and others. TTG ASIA_236X90MM_BUSINESS ESSENTIALS CAST.indd 1 17/7/14 1:18 PM 40tudeTradeTales_hhky1RH(ky)redgc.indd 5 22/7/14 2:34 pm 08.08.2014 TTG Asia 6 Trade tales cused fairs. But soon the entrepreneurial minds of some of COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY the bigger agencies made them hold their own fairs. Quick- AND THE BUT FULL OF HUMANITY ly, everyone jumped onto the bandwagon to get direct sales OPERATORS ASKED One of my first in- and price became a fierce competitive tool. With the advent of OTAs, price competition became more intense. IF WE LIVED ON ap troductions to the Robin Y travel trade was a Technology should be a tool that makes the sales process TREES PRESIDENT, copy of TTG Asia 36 more efficient, thus improving profitability, but somehow TRAVEL CORPORATION ASIA, years ago, on May 23, it does not out work out that way. Software keeps changing SINGAPORE 1978, when I was with fast; the need to keep up means more investments which Singapore Airlines do not necessarily result in better returns. So this endless (SIA). Since then, it pursuit of technology at times takes the focus off the core has been my source business of travel agencies. Many tried to go high-tech but of trade information lost the high-touch. The recent change of employment policy (in Singapore) and news. Through Wong the news revolution and its blind application across the board makes it even Anthony from print to digi- harder for service to be efficient. The ever-increasing de- GROUP MANAGING tal, TTG Asia has mand of consumers today with decreasing tolerance levels, DIRECTOR, ASIAN OVERLAND kept its focus on coupled with high costs and lack of manpower, makes it SERVICES TOURS & TRAVEL, MALAYSIA providing the most impossible to achieve the optimal equilibrium of price and relevant news yet service. My first trip to ITB Berlin was in 1978. It was keeping up with the But one thing hasn’t changed, for which I’m glad, and so difficult then to market Malaysia and South- times to meet the that is the humanity of the travel agency workforce. While east Asia as the Europeans had not heard of needs of the new fiercely competitive, we are probably one of the few indus- this region.