Asia continues to hold the interest of European buyers at IT&CM Asia 2022, thanks to its verdant nature landscapes, diverse culture, affordability, as well as safety and security post-lockdown.
Tomasz Dutkiewicz, CEO of Poland-based Amplifica, told TTGmice: “The first destination that (Polish companies) pick for incentive trips beyond Europe is Asia.
“The region is affordable, and is much cheaper than Africa or South America, and offers quality experiences, culture, nature, and is also safe.”
Another European buyer present at IT&CM Asia 2022 who requested anonymity shared that she has noticed a renewed interest in South-east Asia post-lockdown for the same reasons.
“With budgets being the same as pre-Covid, Asia’s affordability on the ground is a big draw,” she said, adding that beach destinations are favoured over cities.
Meanwhile, Dutkiewicz shared that he has already arranged for groups to visit Sri Lanka, India, and Bali in Indonesia. These groups are smaller in size, between 10 to 15 participants. Pre-pandemic, groups used to be larger he observed, ranging from between 50 to 70 people.
He added that Asia is benefitting at the moment as corporates still “wanted to get out” and travel, but unfortunately, the situation in Europe was not favourable due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
Mihai Luca, director of Travel Smart Info, Romania, shared that his clients were rather inclined towards holding incentive trips in Asia even before lockdowns were over, with clients were asking “when Thailand would open”.
Before borders in Asia reopened, he sent European clients to African countries like Kenya and South Africa, as these were the first to welcome travellers.
One challenge to grapple with now, Luca lamented, is the massive airfare hikes that “shocked” corporates during the planning stages.
However, companies still “need” to send their staff on incentive trips to keep them motivated, after two years of being stuck at home. – Additional reporting by S Puvaneswary
ASEAN has issued a statement ahead of World Tourism Day to emphasise the region’s tourism recovery, with hotel searches, occupancy rates and travel confidence rising.
According to ASEAN, tourism growth is already “on the incline” in 4Q2022. Quoting UNWTO’s Tourism Recovery Tracker, ASEAN also pointed to a 28 per cent year-to-date increase in South-east Asia hotel searches as well as a 57 per cent increase in occupancy rates.
Overall travel sentiment has also risen by an impressive 40 per cent year-to-date, and it is expected to increase as more Covid-19 vaccines become available across the globe and variants of Covid-19 become milder. ASEAN noted that this progression has led to easing of the regions’ pandemic-related border restrictions.
ASEAN said “the pandemic should serve as an impetus and opportunity for the sector to…build forward better – by designing and building a more sustainable tourism sector that would underpin its resilience, which should no longer be taken for granted”.
“The vision is for tourism in ASEAN to emerge more sustainable and resilient following the crisis induced by Covid-19, with more focus on environmental conservation and climate friendly policies, as well as on the critical socio-cultural impacts of the tourism sector in the region,” noted ASEAN in its statement.
The association also spotlights the region’s tourism tagline, A Destination for Every Dream, as it recalls South-east Asia’s blend of “perfect experiences”.
It said: “No other tourism region offers a unified destination so close in the distance and rich in culture, historical sites, varying cuisines, natural landscapes, ecotourism, modern metropolises, and adventure activities.”
Five of the ASEAN member states were listed in Forbes’s recent article, The World’s 50 Most Beautiful Countries, based on their inherent natural beauty and the availability of nature-based activities for guests and natives.
The article listed Indonesia first out of 50 destinations, and Raja Ampat Island in particular as the most beautiful place on earth.
The Philippines ranked 17th on the list; Malaysia at 24th; Thailand at 38th; and Myanmar at 41st.