Japan is considering the removal of pre-arrival Covid-19 testing requirement for vaccinated inbound travellers, with a decision likely to be made within weeks, reported Japanese media on Monday.
Current regulations require Japan-bound travellers to show a negative PCR test result within 72 hours of departure.
Travellers bound for Japan may soon no longer need to perform a pre-arrival PCR test
The government will also consider raising the daily cap on people arriving in Japan from the current 20,000.
Japan’s stringent controls over arriving travellers has put a damper on the country’s efforts to rebuild tourism. Even with its reopening to leisure group tours since June 10, the country’s inbound recovery remains slow.
Showcasing the type of events The Westin Grand Ballroom and Convention Center can handle
The Westin Surabaya officially launched The Westin Grand Ballroom and Convention Center to 200 corporates, PCOs, PEOs and government agencies from Jakarta and Surabaya last week.
The Westin Grand Ballroom and Convention Center offers 9,000m2 of events space, comprising the Grand Ballroom which can accommodate up to 4,000 people theatre-style, as well as 15 breakout rooms which can be further divided into 20 smaller function spaces.
Showcasing the type of events The Westin Grand Ballroom and Convention Center can handle
Reza Aryawarman, complex director of sales and marketing of The Westin Surabaya & Four Points by Sheraton Surabaya, Pakuwon Indah, told TTGmice that the hotel opened in December 2020, during the pandemic, but such a grand opening could not be held then.
“Now that the condition has improved, it is time for us to create awareness that we have the facilities to support Surabaya as a business events destination in this newly-developed area of West Surabaya,” he said.
During the opening, several elements of business events were showcased. The cocktail and dinner menu, for instance, highlighted Westin’s Eat Well concept; the concert and fashion show demonstrated the space’s 55m stage and audiovisual capabilities; while the lighting, LED shows, and giant screens revealed the ballroom’s available event technology.
“We wanted guests to experience for themselves how it’s like to hold events such as conferences and exhibitions in this space,” Reza added.
There were also cars on display that evening, to which Reza explained: “This is our response to some queries about whether it can support exhibition organisers. This shows that our loading facilities can handle exhibits such as cars.”
Delegates who attend events at The Westin Grand Ballroom can choose tostay at the 204-key The Westin Surabaya, or the 310-key Four Points by Sheraton Surabaya, Pakuwon Indah. Both hotels are located in the same building, within the Pakuwon Indah township development. The hotels offer direct access to a shopping mall, and is close by to golf courses and other entertainment facilities.
With The Westin Grand Ballroom and Convention Center now online, Reza is targeting 70 per cent occupancy with the help of business events.
“Domestic events will be our main market, but we are starting to tap regional markets like Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea. Singapore was the largest market for Surabaya before the pandemic and we are confident this will come back strongly. Malaysia, meanwhile, has the potential to grow,” Reza said,
As for South Korea, the hotels under his care have seen a growing demand for rooms from Korean corporate travellers, thanks to the projects they have in Surabaya. Eventually, Reza opined that demand for corporate events will soon follow.
Sinarto, head of the East Java Regional Culture and Tourism Office, said that the new venue would uplift Surabaya and East Java’s position as a business event destination.
He added: “East Java has the facilities to support the growth of MICE business. Big and small venues are available and business event activities take place almost daily. Surabaya is very accessible (from other parts of Indonesia).”
Similarly for Panca Sarungu, CEO of Raja MICE, he is confident that the new venue opens up opportunities for Surabaya to tap both the regional and international markets, thanks to its international branding.
Moreover, the Michael Learns to Rock’s MLTR Back on The Road Tour 2022 concert is set to take place on October 19, which will help bolster Surabaya’s business events profile.
Panca hopes that this recognition would also attract other hospitality players to invest in the area, as rooms in the surrounding Pakuwon Indah area are still “lacking”, making it difficult to hold “big” events.
Corporates in Asia are stepping up traveller education in an effort to cut reliance on TMCs, which are facing a manpower crunch, with the situation unlikely to be resolved in the next 12 months.
According to a Singapore-based regional corporate travel manager (CTM), a leading TMC which is trying to fill 3,000 global vacancies has only managed to reach about one-third of its target at press time.
TMCs are facing a manpower crunch post-lockdown
He shared: “Some travellers are waiting 30 minutes and there is no answer (from the TMC), or they put their calls on speaker and wait for one to two hours (to speak to a consultant).
“We are having to manage expectations and educate travellers on the alternatives like ‘self-serve’ and checking the advisories created on the TMC website.”
“Travellers are also being urged to use online booking tools and make bookings six weeks in advance. Otherwise, airfares booked two weeks prior, as was the practice pre-Covid, could be 20 to 50 per cent higher, double or more.”
Not booking with the TMC was a “tricky situation”, he commented, and the company was having an “internal conversation” with travellers to “self declare” their trips with its security vendor.
“The reality is travellers will have to manage themselves on the road,” he observed.
A regional CTM in a US pharmaceutical firm said: “TMCs are trying to cope and are doing their best. But consultants who lost jobs during the pandemic fear they will be displaced again if they return and if there is a recession,” she said.
The company, she added, was educating travellers to book in advance and not make last-minute trips.
A senior CTM in the finance industry described the landscape of less supply and the need to establish new procurement relationships as the “new world” of travel management.
New study reveals the latest tech trends and changing role in how travel managers can serve their companies and business travellers
Business travel and the role of the travel manager have both changed significantly during the pandemic. As business travel returns, many are questioning what changes will become permanent, and how the industry will continue to evolve to navigate new headwinds including inflation, Covid-19 infection spikes, and the threat of further travel disruptions.
The research study recently released by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) and FCM, The Evolution of Travel Program Technology, explores how technology has impacted the travel manager’s role, the traveller experience, and the travel management company (TMC) business.
New study reveals the latest tech trends and changing role in how travel managers can serve their companies and business travellers
During the pandemic, digitalisation and the use of technology accelerated as travellers were driven online, experiencing contactless and touchless travel.
But surprisingly, this research now shows that two in five travel managers cite technology as one of their top pain points, highlighting that there is still work to be done in achieving the right balance.
As companies return to travel and update their travel policies, many are using this opportunity to reassess supplier relationships and technology requirements for the post-lockdown environment.
“Keeping updated and communicating with travellers has taken on renewed urgency for companies, and travel managers looking to their TMCs to advise on innovative ways to manage travel programmes effectively while keeping travellers safe.
“The rapid pace of technological innovation presents tremendous opportunities for travel managers and managed travel programmes as we return to business travel. Travel managers cite technology as the most important factor when selecting a TMC,” said Marcus Eklund, global managing director, FCM.
“The study also showed that on average nine in 10 global travel managers say a consistent technology experience is of utmost importance. It’s essential TMCs be at the forefront of technological advancements to advise travel managers and help solve corporate global travel challenges.”
Here are other key highlights from the study:
Technology is the most important factor when travel managers select a TMC, ahead of costs/fees and account management quality and support. Three in five (59%) travel managers include technology as one of the most important factors when selecting a TMC. However, two in five respondents (42%) include technology as one of the top pain points of their primary TMC.
Almost all travel programmes (96%) use an online booking tool (OBT), and as such, is the most popular technology component of a travel programme. However, other technology solutions are less frequent including reporting dashboards, TMC mobile apps, re-shopping tools and single-use virtual payments to name a few. This suggests many travel managers might largely associate travel technology almost exclusively with OBTs and thus, might be unaware of other solutions that can create efficiencies and streamline travel programme components.
Few travel programmes use their OBT to promote sustainability. Fewer than half say their OBT shows carbon emissions in search results (44%) or displays lower emission flights higher in search results (10%), provides sustainability messaging (four per cent) or is configured to exclude less sustainable options from search results (two per cent). However, a decent number of travel managers are interested in configuring their OBT to do these things. These practices will likely become more common as sustainability concerns grow, OBTs design key features and travel managers learn more about them.
There is widespread interest in chatbots. Seven in 10 travel managers are interested in artificial intelligence-enabled chat. These chatbots can answer travellers questions or help them make bookings. Despite the strong interest, chatbots are largely not a reality for most travel programmes. Fewer than half say their TMC app includes a chatbot that can answer traveller questions (44%) or can help travellers make bookings (29%).
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to dramatically transform how travel programs operate. Travel Managers are widely interested in using AI to enhance reporting (87%), data cleansing (82%), personalization of search results (78%), and auditing of expense reports (62%).
Travel managers’ understanding of the New Distribution Capability (NDC) is mixed, with many being largely uninitiated with the XML-based data transmission standard. One-third (30%) say they know “some but have more to learn,” while one in five say they know “virtually nothing” or only “a little” about NDC (20% each). While one in five (21%) travel managers report their programme offers NDC content through their TMC/OBT, a third (34%) are unaware if their TMC/OBT offers NDC content – suggesting NDC is not top of mind among many travel managers.
T5 will be a resilient and sustainable terminal that leverages technology to enhance passenger experience and increase productivity. (Image: Changi Airport Group)
Having paused its plans for Terminal 5 for two years due to Covid-19, Changi Airport’s new terminal is now being designed with lessons from the pandemic and is scheduled to be completed by the mid-2030s.
Terminal 5’s design has been improved to be more resilient, with the ability to operate more safely and flexibly during a pandemic. Such considerations include the flexibility to operate as smaller sub-terminals when needed, like converting spaces in the airport into testing areas or for segregating high-risk passengers.
T5 will leverage technology to enhance passenger experience and increase productivity. Photo: Changi Airport Group
There will be special provisions deployed within Singapore’s new terminal to reduce the transmission of diseases, such as contactless systems at passenger touch points, and enhanced ventilation systems that can be activated during a pandemic to increase the use of fresh air and minimise the mixing of air.
With the aim of being energy-efficient and reduce its carbon footprint, Terminal 5 will incorporate solar panels, smart building management systems, as well as district cooling combined with thermal energy storage. The new terminal will be certified as a Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy Building by the Building and Construction Authority once completed.
The building will also be ready for viable alternative fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel, and for the provision of fixed ground power and cooling for aircraft parked at the gates.
In addition, a new business and lifestyle destination will be built next to the new terminal, and will be called Changi East Urban District. Set within landscaped public spaces, it will have offices, smart work centres, flexible conference rooms and halls, hotels and serviced apartments.
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will host the Massage & Myotherapy Australia 2023 National Conference, the first time the event will be held outside Australia.
The event, scheduled to take place at the Grand Millennium Auckland in May next year, is estimated to inject close to NZ$320,000 (US$198,651) into Auckland’s economy. Coincidentally, Massage & Myotherapy Australia will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary Conference in 2023.
An aerial view of Auckland
Massage & Myotherapy Australia is the leading representative body for massage therapists, remedial massage therapists and myotherapists in Australia. Up to 300 qualified therapists are expected to attend the training, education, and networking conference in Auckland, including members of Massage New Zealand, which will not hold its 2023 national meeting to attend a combined event.
Massage & Myotherapy Australia is a not-for-profit organisation formed in 2003, and services over 8,700+ professionally qualified therapists.
Massage New Zealand was formed in 2006 and is the only massage therapy-specific membership body in New Zealand with a focus on promoting massage therapy and the ongoing development of the massage therapy industry.
The event bid was supported by the Auckland Convention Bureau, a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and Tourism New Zealand’s Business Events team.
Both companies hope to better serve their clients in Asia
EventX, an Asian-focused event SaaS company providing event technology and event management solutions for businesses, has acquired Toasty, a meeting platform that helps engage people in meaningful conversations.
Founded in 2020, Toasty was designed to bring interactive workshops online. Used by over 16,500 participants and available in over 25 countries, the video meeting platform is poised to bring back human connection in a digital world.
Both companies hope to better serve their clients in Asia
Through this strategic acquisition, EventX will continue to broaden the product range and maximise its capabilities in hybrid event solutions. This will also help accelerate the company’s strong growth across its hybrid event management solution, and its recently launched metaverse-enablement solution to strengthen the value proposition for both Asian clients and partners.
To address the event industry’s needs of increasing the quantity and quality of attendees acquisition, EventX also recently rolled out a new “Attendee Generation” offering as a marketing hacking tool for event organisers.
With information such as the company size, profile and job title of potential prospects, the function helps organisers to get more target audiences to join their events. It also aims to enable event organisers to get familiar with the notion of a well-defined persona and segmenting, personalising and ultimately connecting more attendees with the right value.
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) announced its annual Club Melbourne Ambassador Program Award winners in a ceremony last week, acknowledging the recipients of the past three years.
The award winners are:
2020 Club Melbourne Awards
Stephen Durkin - 5th Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference – AusRock
Mary Lawson - Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Healthcare Professions
2021 Club Melbourne Awards
Simon Crowe - International Congress of Psychology
Thas A. Nirmalathas - Opto-Electronics and Communications Conference
Thas A. Nirmalathas - Global Entrepreneurship Congress
2022 Club Melbourne Awards
Matthew Jackson - Outstanding Achievement
The Annual Club Melbourne Fellowship programme was also announced, with Melbourne researchers Gemma Sharp and Shoujin Wang named this year’s recipients. Launched to support the next generation of Melbourne’s research leaders, the Fellowship was created to recognise excellence in research and leadership in mid-career Melburnian researchers.
The Club Melbourne Ambassador Program includes 126 Victorians from diverse disciples of medicine, science and environment, technology, engineering, business, and education, with only a select few invited to join the programme each year.
With support from the Melbourne Convention Bureau, Club Melbourne Ambassadors have helped to secure 156 business events for Melbourne bringing more than 177,400 delegates and contributing A$1 billion (US$689.1 million) to the Victorian economy since 2005.
Cebu City is ready for business events; The Magellan's Cross Pavilion at Plaza Sugbo pictured
Business events are steadily returning to the Philippines, buoyed by the huge and hungry domestic market, with a smattering of foreign groups.
Tourism Promotions Board’s (TPB) deputy chief operating officer Charles Aames Bautista told TTGmice on the sidelines of the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) event that there the country was now welcoming more domestic exhibitions, bleisure trips, as well as incentive trips from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, like the recent group of 500 pax from AXA Philippines.
Cebu City is ready for business events; The Magellan’s Cross Pavilion at Plaza Sugbo pictured
According to Bautista, TPB will support over 200 business events by year-end, of which around 80 are international events. To that tune, after two-year hiatus, Philtoa’s Philippine Travel Mart will also resume this year.
He shared that TPB has also cast a keen eye on Business Process Outsourcing companies, another sector that is big on incentive trips, and is also working to incentivise the film industry to shoot in the Philippines as a film’s cast or crew alone can number up to 200 pax, similar to the size of a business events group.
Fe Abling-Yu, Arfel Travel and Tours president, is also seeing signs of recovery, with business events now comprising 80 per cent of her total travel agency business, and nearing 2019 levels.
She observed that a number of companies have shelved overseas business events in favour of domestic destinations like Clark, Boracay, Cebu and Bohol to help support the country’s economy. Lesser-known destinations like Morong in Bataan province also offers good conference facilities, having recently hosted a government-related conference.
Bruce Winton, Marriott International’s multi-property vice president in the Philippines, added: “An interesting trend to watch for now is how changing workplace dynamics will translate into periodic gatherings.
“As many businesses shift more permanently to hybrid or work-from-home roles, periodic, quarterly or annual get-togethers may just become more important.”
For Marriott properties in the country, Winton shared that corporate meetings have started to recover, and that year-end activity is “on track to match 2019 volumes”. He forecasted that next year’s recovery will be even more “significant”.
There is also a lack of universal standards when it comes to corporate sustainability
With borders open and economic recovery a priority, regional corporate travel managers (CTMs) are having to put more employees back on the road while balancing sustainability.
According to a senior CTM in a global financial institution, the challenge was the lack of a “world standard for carbon offsets”, and airline partners such as Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines having different policies on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
There is also a lack of universal standards when it comes to corporate sustainability
The senior CTM added: “Business trips are resuming. It’s about building back the business, meeting clients and management travelling in the region to meet staff.”
Aircraft are full, he commented, because business owners were prepared to pay high airfares not to lose business opportunities.
He pointed out: “Our regional travel policy has changed to improve traveller wellness, not compromise on comfort and (budget) limits have gone up to retain employees.”
Meanwhile, the regional CTM of a US pharmaceutical company said travel was back to about 50 per cent with no more travel restrictions and only personal consideration on destinations.
“Travel to Singapore is back with a vengeance,” he shared, adding that “if an employee has to travel and if the budget is available he or she will”.
He added that while the company was not asking its TMCs for travel and meeting sustainability reports yet, it was a matter of time as the issue is now on the radar.
Benson Tang, executive director of Corporate Travel Community (CTC), and organiser of the CTC Summit and Sustainability Expo in Singapore on November 3, told TTGmice that sustainability in corporate travel is a hot topic, and will be this year’s theme.
“Travel is a big carbon emitter and the summit will field experts and CTMs to speak about it,” he said.
The summit, Tang added, will also address topics such as SAF and how to tender for it, standards for measuring carbon emissions, and looking at petrol versus electric vehicles for ground transport tenders. There will also be an exhibition, which will “focus on suppliers with green initiatives”.
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