Virtual events platform GEVME has launched a brand new Digital Event Management course, conducted in collaboration with Nanyang Polytechnic’s Center for Industry and Lifelong Learning.
This course comes as part of NYP’s ongoing educational partnership with GlobalSign.in (GEVME’s parent company) to nurture Singapore’s business events industry capabilities and foster the next generation of event managers.
A screenshot from the course website
The two day-long course will be held on October 21-22, 09.00 to 17.00 at Nanyang Polytechnic. All Singaporeans aged 25 and above can use their SkillsFuture Credit to subsidise the course fee. Participants will be awarded a certificate upon completion of the course.
Targeted at current and aspiring event professionals, meeting planners and marketing executives, the Digital Event Management course will equip attendees with fundamental skills needed to get started in the emerging field of virtual and hybrid events. The curriculum will cover key learning areas including but not limited to:
● Managing virtual event stakeholders
● Designing a virtual venue
● Providing value to sponsors and exhibitors
● Fundamental digital skills like live streaming and data privacy
● Event monitoring and post-event reporting, and more
According to the whitepaper “Reimagining Business Events – Through Covid-19 and Beyond” by STB, PCMA and UFI, as the global events sector experiences accelerated digitalisation, multiple facets of the business event industry must transform: reimagining the business models, the delegate experience – and the talents and capabilities of those building and executing events.
“As the events industry reinvents itself, the role of the event manager will evolve. Alongside core skills in event management, the digital event managers of the future will need to develop flexible and diversified skill sets to manage new multi-modal event formats,” said Veemal Gungadin, CEO of GEVME.
“In developing this course, we gathered the insights and best practices of event professionals, our partners and other industry actors – to give learners a comprehensive overview of the skills they need to effectively successfully plan, produce and measure the results of virtual events.”
A hospitality veteran with three decades of industry experience in Asia and Europe, Edward E. Snoeks, will take charge of the new Meliá Chiang Mai scheduled to open by end-2021.
Snoeks joins Meliá Chiang Mai after managing the pre-opening of Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok & The Residences and working as both Thailand’s regional general manager and general manager of The Okura Prestige Bangkok.
Previously, he was the general manager of Crowne Plaza Hong Kong Causeway Bay and vice president of hotel operations at Hong Kong Parkview Hotel Services.
His work in Asia goes back to 1994 when he worked for The Regent Hong Kong’s F&B department. Snoeks’ hotel management experience also includes stints at the Marco Polo Hotels in Hong Kong, the Mutiara Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Le Royal Meridien Baan Taling Ngam on Koh Samui.
Comprising a 22-floor tower fronted by an adjoining seven-floor podium building, Meliá Chiang Mai will feature a host of facilities including two restaurants, two bars, two lounges, a YHI Spa with seven treatment rooms, a fully-equipped fitness centre, swimming pool, ballroom and four additional meeting spaces.
CWT has appointed Joel Hanson as senior director of global innovation business development.
In this leadership role within CWT’s Global Supply Chain Partners team, Hanson will be responsible for incubating, building and delivering industry-leading products and services to optimise CWT’s client and their traveller’s end-to-end travel experience.
Joel Hanson
Based in Minneapolis and reporting to Vince Chirico, senior vice president global supply chain partners, Hanson is a CWT veteran, having joined the company as global senior writer before spending the last six years as the company’s senior product incubation manager.
Over the last two years, Hanson spearheaded the launch of CWT Guest Services worldwide, and was pivotal in the conceptualisation and launch of CWT AnalytIQs.
The do’s and don’ts of hybrid conference management as well as practical tips to retaining and supporting staff are some of the topics to be addressed at the upcoming IAPCO Edge Asia-Pacific Seminar.
Content across the four-day event will be led by 11 key experts, including MCI Group’s Oscar Cerezales, International Conference Services’ Patricia Cheong, and Conference Company’s Jan Tonkin. Besides offering new insights and advice, the experts will tackle questions and help brainstorm challenges.
IAPCO Edge APAC brings in industry thought leaders to address concepts like Covid fatigue, recovery strategies and team motivation, and help attendees plan events with certainty
Martin Boyle, IAPCO CEO, said the seminar would offer new strategies and advice for event management in response to today and tomorrow’s challenges.
“The past two years have been incredibly difficult for people across the entire events industry around the world and as a result, we have had to adapt dramatically. We know there are still event cancellations or postponements happening across the entire region, but we are seeing green shoots of recovery starting to show,” he said.
The seminar will take place virtually from October 11 to 14, 2021. It is the third virtual IAPCO Edge, following successful seminars for Europe and Latin America professionals earlier this year.
Moving from bed to desk within minutes to ready for one’s first meeting of the day has become a norm for many people, as offices rely on work-from-home arrangements to keep staff safe during the pandemic.
Now, as freedom of movement returns, a workation trend has emerged – people are combining remote work with much-needed vacation at relaxing locations, such as hotels, resorts and villas.
When Booking.com conducted a study in late-2020 to identify critical travel trends in 2021 and beyond, it discovered that people were looking to take longer trips in the future that allowed them to mix work and pleasure. Thirty-seven per cent of travellers considered booking somewhere to stay in order to work from a different destination, while 52 per cent would take the opportunity to extend any business trips to enjoy leisure time at the destination.
Richard Roocroft, director of global sales at Interprefy, was among those who have adopted a workation arrangement. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, Roocroft is in an enviable position – literally, as he is within reach of many beautiful resorts.
Roocroft has chosen to relocate to Koh Samui with his family this year, away from the populous capital to minimise Covid-19 exposure. They have been through five resorts so far. He has set up his desk at a beachfront restaurant, café and co-working space – anywhere with Wi-Fi and a plug for his laptop.
He has benefitted from more productive meetings, fewer interruptions, and time saved from office commute being channelled to leisure.
Varying acceptance
Roocroft’s ability to adopt a workation arrangement is made possible by his company’s flexible work approach. Interprefy specialises in cloud-based simultaneous interpretation solutions, and has a workforce of 180 spread across five continents.
He explained: “Some work from home, some like to change location every now and then. One of my team members even works out of a camper van, and he is on a constant trip through Europe.
“Being a fully remote company, we really don’t mind where someone decides to work from, as long the environment allows them to get the job done. As a result, we see many of our European team now travelling around freely, and it is an absolute pleasure to follow their working adventures on Instagram.”
India’s Microtek International recently gathered its key leadership for a workation at a resort. Subodh Gupta, chairman and managing director, said it was a nice change from the work-from-home norm.
“It offered us an opportunity to meet each other in person and discuss the company’s roadmap. We had our meetings in open spaces, which was a relaxing change after being confined to our home for so long. What made it different from incentive trips or teambuilding programmes was that we abided by the usual office hours, and unwound only in the evening,” said Gupta.
The outcome was a more energetic and motivated team, he concluded.
While Ian Cummings, global head of CWT Meetings & Events, acknowledges that workation is the “new buzzword following on from staycations”, he said his company has yet to see clients evolving their corporate policy to support this phenomenon.
He explained: “Companies are looking at this on a case-by-case basis. Given the focus around travel and event costs at present, it is not likely that organisations would overspend.”
Clients are maintaining their reimbursement policies. “If it was an expendable activity before, it is expendable now. That is a sensible way forward. We are not seeing an appetite for increased costs, such as Wi-Fi, calls or meals just because someone has decided to work from an alternative location,” he told TTGmice.
That said, Cummings reflected that the workation trend is worth watching. According to research company Axios, 74 per cent of surveyed remote workers said they would consider taking a workation.
CWT Meetings & Events’ own poll earlier this year with 200,000 LinkedIn followers found that 60.5 per cent of those surveyed cited the uniqueness or attractiveness of a destination as the most influential factor in deciding to take a workation.
He said: “It really underlines that employees are interested in combining business and pleasure when travelling. All the more reason to take this phenomenon seriously, although I believe interest in a workation depends on job function and likely seniority in an organisation.”
“Perhaps, some businesses might change their policies if workations remained popular and if it was a necessity to boost traveller satisfaction rates,” he mused.
Elsa Kimy Yue, spokesperson for Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, has seen some resistance from corporate travel and HR managers to include workation packages into their travel or staff welfare programmes.
“Employers feel that workation is a personal choice and costs should not be on the company. However, our clients have conveyed details of our Dream B-Leisure Lifestyle Package to their staff, and we offer a discount for personal bookings that come through the corporate channel,” she said.
Richard Roocroft’s extended workation around Koh Samui has given him some inspiring views from his desk
A business opportunity
Workations are an opportunity for accommodation operators to tap into a new segment of travellers who are looking to escape from lockdown fatigue. For many, the workcation trend is both a lifeline amid suppressed travel and tourism business and a recovery catalyst.
Marriott International was among the first to offer a workation programme. Work Anywhere with Marriott Bonvoy packages fall into three categories – Day Pass, Stay Pass and Play Pass – and are available at select hotels in certain cities worldwide.
“Working remotely doesn’t necessarily have to mean working from home, where blurred lines between personal and professional lives can create distractions and stress,” Stephanie Linnartz, group president – consumer operations, technology & emerging businesses, had said during the programme’s launch in October 2020.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Centara Hotels & Resorts followed earlier this year with their own workcation campaign.
The Great Relocate by Hyatt Hotels Corporation offers a flat rate for long-term stays with a minimum 29-day booking for hotels across South-west Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Centara Hotels & Resorts’ Work From Hotel packages are available across Thailand, offering extended stays from two weeks to a month at reduced rates. The initiative came about as Centara saw a surge in remote workers, some with children in tow, looking to escape for “a significant period of time” to pastures new such as beaches or the countryside amid the pandemic, said Tom Thrussell, vice president of brand, marketing and digital.
A trend was also emerging of Bangkok-based residents migrating to different areas, like coastal towns, to escape the city’s air pollution, he added. Top locations are those most accessible from Bangkok, such as Pattaya and Phuket, and the packages attract a mix of Thai and expatriate residents.
Melia Ho Tram in Vietnam offers the Teleworking in Paradise programme, which appealed to guests wanting to “escape the city with their family and stay at the resort for longer periods, as it is a place for them to work and relax with their family during the pandemic”, shared Ha Minh Thu, the resort’s director of sales and marketing.
Bookings come from both individuals and companies, and the guests themselves are mostly CEOs and high-level executives from Ho Chi Minh City. Most would work in their villa, with an occasional request for a meeting room to conduct video conferences.
Vibhas Prasad, director of India’s Leisure Hotels Group, has been welcoming local workation groups. He said guests prioritise “comfortable workspace in the room and at select areas across the resort where they can work undisturbed”. Also in demand are high-speed Wi-Fi, IT support, quality meals whenever they want, and entertainment.
At Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, guests can customise their desired workation programme and work from any public space across the property
Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa’s Yue observed that most workation guests would work in their room, although the luxury property invites guests to work out of anywhere on the sprawling grounds. She pointed to the resort’s many green lawns, poolside cabanas, LeBar’s quiet corners that overlook the pool as well as the sea-facing patio at The Cliff restaurant as some ideal work spaces.
Flexibility is key in the resort’s Dream B-Leisure Lifestyle workation offering. Guests are granted more than 10 complimentary amenities, included in both the DayDream Pass which comes without a guestroom and the DayLifestyle Pass which comes with an overnight stay. Numerous add-ons are available, such as free-flow alcoholic beverages, a three-course meal, spa access, and an hour-long yoga session.
Yue said: “Some things are essentials now – speedy Wi-Fi, coffee and tea, for instance. So, we have to offer more than these basics to elevate the workation experience for our guests. People are working longer hours as a result of the work-from-home arrangement, and are feeling more exhausted easily because they now have to balance work and family duties.
“As a resort that offers a workation programme, we have to provide valuable conveniences, be it access to quality meals that guests do not have to prepare for themselves, a rejuvenating spa or swim, or activities that will keep their children occupied while they focus on work.”
Recognising that “there needs to be a balance in work and play for someone to remain passionate about their professional duties”, Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa has made available many wellness options to workation guests. Soon to come is a private yacht option for guests to unwind in style.
Will demand last?
Hoteliers are confident that the workation trend is here to stay, even after the pandemic is contained and normal work resumes, now that more people have had a taste of blending remote work with pleasure.
Prasad noticed that India’s young workforce, those aged 20 to 45, have adapted well to remote work, and this segment will continue to drive demand for workations “long after the Covid-19 impact becomes redundant”.
Yue expects workation demand to fluctuate by seasons, such as peaking during long school breaks “when children are off but parents are not”.
She added: “There are companies that have chosen to permanently adopt a full or partial remote work arrangement. Their staff will therefore continue to have the option to work from anywhere, even at a resort where they can balance work and play.”
Cummings is less optimistic. “As popular as a workation seems to be now, I am not sure if it will hold much weight for organisations when we are exiting the pandemic,” he said.
“Again, it really depends on the job function: there are many jobs where it doesn’t matter if you are behind your desk in a Singapore office or in a cottage in the French Alps. But where face-to-face teamwork and collaboration are necessary or where it is compulsory to come into the office one or two days a week, then a workation will not really work,” he added.
Benson Tang, executive director of Corporate Travel Community, Informa Markets, believes that a “distinct separation of work and leisure” is necessary, and that face-to-face interaction at work triumphs over the isolation of work-from-home arrangements.
As such, Tang believes that remote work will likely be replaced by a hybrid work model post-Covid, which will result in demand for workations being phased out. – Additional reporting by Marissa Carruthers, Cheryl Ong and Rohit Kaul
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has promoted Sanghamitra Bose to the role of vice president. This comes on top of her previous position as general manager for Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand.
She is a respected and experienced thought leader, having built an outstanding reputation across the travel industry in Asia-Pacific over the past 18 years.
As a champion of diversity, she leads GBT’s internal Global Asian Inclusion Network, which seeks to build awareness of Asian heritage across the company.
The management and top dealers from Indonesia’s Massindo Group will be the first incentive travellers from the Asian country to set foot in Switzerland since the pandemic.
Massindo Group, which holds licences of international brands such as SpringAir and Therapedic, and is recognised as an upmarket bedding company, will bring 168 members on a December tour programme organised by Xpert Indonesia.
Bernese Alps will be among the many iconic Swiss regions to welcome the country’s first Indonesian incentive group this December since the pandemic hit
Dominique Oi, MICE manager for South-east Asia, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, told TTGmice that Massindo Group was originally scheduled to travel in December 2020, and travel plans were secured pre-Covid.
“A few weeks ago, they had a meeting and made the decision to host their incentive this early December,” revealed Oi.
The group has started to process their visas.
While details of the programme are still being ironed out, Oi said the 10-day trip would call at regions of Zürich, Valais, Lake Lucerne, Bernese Alps Oberland and Lake Geneva.
The win is not only memorable for Switzerland, but also for Xpert Indonesia, as the programme is the agency’s first post-pandemic incentive group.
Stephanus Suharli, director and owner of Xpert Indonesia, likened the win to “morning dew after a long drought”.
He recalled how the programme had to be postponed due to the pandemic. “But as soon as we saw an improved situation – that the destination is ready to receive travellers – and that we are able to ensure the safety and comfort of incentive participants, the client agreed to resume travel plans,” he said.
“We are grateful that the Swiss Embassy in Jakarta, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, the airline and hotels were all very supportive,” he added.
To facilitate visa applications, the Swiss Embassy made arrangements for incentive winners to make their biometric records in their home region, instead of having to travel to Jakarta for the procedure.
Stephanus acknowledged numerous post-pandemic travel challenges. One of which was the requirement of additional budget to pay for Covid-19 travel insurance and compulsory PCR tests, as well as an eight-day extension for hotel quarantine for all returning participants.
Some outbound incentive specialists in Indonesia had told TTGmice that the eight-day hotel quarantine for returning Indonesian residents was a major hurdle hampering business recovery.
A longer stay in Switzerland was also necessary for the Xpert Indonesia team, as they had to facilitate staggered arrivals. To ensure the safety and comfort of travellers, the group will be split into batches of no more than 60 pax each.
“Massindo Group has committed to deliver its promise to their top dealers, and as their organiser we will do our part to get the programme going. Hopefully, this will inspire others (companies and incentive organisers) to start travelling again,” he said.
En-terprises attaining the certification will provide a mark of assurance to their customers and stakeholders and inspire greater consumer confidence.
The Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW) will launch this November as a four-day online/offline hybrid event aimed at catalysing sustainable food production in Asia.
Organised by global investment company Temasek in partnership with Economic Development Board, Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Food Agency, Singapore Tourism Board, and event organisers Rethink Events and Constellar, SIAW will bring together the world’s leading food producers, agribusinesses, entrepreneurs, investors, research institutions and policymakers.
Multi-agency projects like SIAW could make Singapore an ideal launchpad for international startups in agri-food technology looking to penetrate the region, and for local and Asian start-ups looking to overseas markets
Notable speakers from international organisations, such as BASF, Cargill, Nestle, Tyson Foods, Unilever, The World Health Organisation, and the Tony Blair Institute, will share insights on scaling agri-food developments across Asia. Content will be livestreamed globally.
SIAW will comprise three key events: the launch event on November 15, which will feature an MoU signing between the partners, a fireside chat on driving agri-food innovation and collaboration opportunities in Asia, and the Roundtable on Novel Food Regulations; the fourth Asia Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit by Rethink Events, from November 16 to 18; and the inaugural Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia by Constellar.
Chua Wee Phong, chief executive, markets, Constellar, said in a press statement: “We’re excited to bring together Asia’s key players in the agri-food tech sector to catalyse collaboration and growth. The pandemic has given us the opportunity to build innovative audience engagement solutions which enable impactful global business networking. We look forward to hosting a unique O2O (online to offline) hybrid experience, bringing together stakeholders safely in a post-Covid world to activate impactful networks, explore opportunities and embark on partnerships, to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of Asia’s agri-food sectors.”
Dilys Boey, assistant CEO, food, healthcare & biomedical with Enterprise Singapore, said: “Global partnerships across research institutes, government, established and start-up private enterprises are key to driving agri-food innovation in Asia. Such partnerships strengthen the global competitiveness of Singapore and Asia-based start-ups in agri-food technology as they look to overseas markets, and conversely, open doors for international startups to anchor in and leverage Singapore as a launchpad to the region.”
Yap Chin Siang, Singapore Tourism Board’s deputy chief executive, added that the launch of SIAW is “testament to Singapore’s enduring status as a premier hub for global business events”.
The Symposium of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (SIASS) will return to Australia after 25 years when it gathers next in Melbourne come 2023.
Backed by the Victorian State government and prominent Australian universities RMIT and Swinburne, the event is expected to attract more than 500 delegates and deliver in excess of A$2 million (US$1.5 million) economic contribution to the local economy.
Part of the SIASS programme will involve technical tours showcasing architectural points of interest; Arts Centre Melbourne pictured
Melbourne Convention Bureau’s (MCB) chief executive Julia Swanson said the city has a proud history in the creative integration of structural engineering and architecture.
“Part of the programme will involve technical tours showcasing architectural points of interest, the city is known for.
“Melbourne has been at the forefront of lightweight structural systems such as lattice, membrane, and shell structures – from the famed Sidney Myer Music Bowl the iconic spire at the Arts Centre Melbourne to AAMI Park, to name a few,” Swanson said.
Having worked with MCB previously, bid leader Mike Xie from RMIT University said the strong support from the bureau was most helpful to the bid win.
Melbourne has a strong track record in hosting prestigious conferences, supported by ideal event infrastructure, quality accommodation, accessible public transport and exciting city experiences.
In 2023, Melbourne will host 27 international and national business events, including the 2023 Rotary International Convention which will attract 20,000 delegates and deliver more than A$88 million to the Victorian economy, making it the most valuable convention ever secured for Victoria.
The number of Chinese consumers against the idea of travelling amid a pandemic has fallen, and a majority welcomes destination promotion content, noted Dragon Trail International’s fourth semi-annual China Traveler Sentiment Report.
The study fielded in mid-August found that while willingness to travel remains the same as in March 2021 at 20 per cent of respondents, the number of people who had said they would not travel has decreased by 32 per cent, replaced by people who said they would travel but would do so cautiously – up 43 per cent.
China’s strict enforcement of border controls will likely stay put until after the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing (pictured), to ensure a safe environment for athletes
Mengfan Wang, manager of research, Dragon Trail International, in presenting the latest findings on September 24, said: “This means, more Chinese are thinking of taking protective measures, avoiding crowds and monitoring the local pandemic situation at the desired destination before they go.”
Wang said the study has also picked up an encouraging “new sentiment” – many respondents are now looking forward to travelling again as a means to relax.
“This signals that there is a growing frustration and longing for a chance to ease pandemic anxiety (through travels),” she explained, adding that China’s recent domestic outbreaks had led to rising levels of anxiety among people to avoid crowds and to have their mask on at all times.
“Despite that, the willingness to travel has remained the same. That is good news for us,” Wang said.
The latest China Traveler Sentiment Report has also picked up stronger intentions among Chinese consumers to travel farther than they said they would in the last study six months ago.
Cross-provincial travel plans for the Golden Week holidays from October 1 to 7 are heating up. Twenty-seven per cent now said they would travel cross-provincially compared to 17 per cent in March; 44 per cent would travel locally versus 48 per cent in March; and the remaining 28 per cent would remain home or have no travel plans at all, compared to 36 per cent in March.
However, travel desires have outstripped actual plans for the long holidays. Fifty-eight per cent said they would travel cross-provincially if they could, and only four per cent maintained no travel plans at all.
Wang said the study identified stronger preferences for nature trips, visits to islands and beaches, as well as rural tourism that satiated Chinese travellers’ desire for seclusion and relaxation.
“However, traditionally crowded attractions like themed parks and museums will still have a place in the new normal,” she added.
While roadtrips fell out of favour in the March analysis, this form of travel regained interest now, prompting researchers to believe that such trips are seasonal – more popular for summer holidays and less for winter.
“There is also a drop in interest in outdoor and sports activities. This could remain niche, and the Winter Olympics (in Beijing next February) could inspire some growth in the near future,” remarked Wang.
A welcoming Chinese community
With the 2022 Winter Olympics scheduled to take place in Beijing from February 4 to 20, Dragon Trail International took the chance to gauge Chinese consumers’ thoughts on inbound tourism for the first time.
“More than half said the games should be open to visitors from anywhere as long as they are fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid test result to show,” said Sienna Parulis-Cook, director of marketing and communications with the company.
Of the remaining respondents, 23 per cent said the games should open to only domestic spectators, and 25 per cent said it should follow the Tokyo Olympics and play to no spectators at all.
Parulis-Cook said: “Realistically speaking, the games will likely be held under extremely strict safety protocols that would go above and beyond what Tokyo had. But what stands out in our findings is the welcome that the Chinese have for game spectators and international visitors to join in the games festivity.”
“However, openness to inbound travellers does not necessarily means the people want to change China’s very strict quarantine requirements,” she added. “These requirements continue to be at least 14 days in a centralised facility, and in some cases, followed by additional quarantine at home or a period of health monitoring with restricted movements in public.”
When asked for their opinion on quarantine requirements on arrival in China, 30 per cent of respondents said the measures should be relaxed for travellers who are fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid test result; 28 per cent said requirements should remain the same; and 36 per cent said measures should be stricter. Only five per cent wanted the measures to be relaxed for everyone, and an even smaller one per cent wanted exemptions for Chinese citizens.
Parulis-Cook believes that in the short term, or until the Olympic Games is over, travellers arriving in China should expect to have to go through extensive quarantine.
Outbound confidence
China’s strict outbound travel restrictions have locked Chinese consumers away from the outside world, limiting their exposures to online means, such as livestreams, videos, photos or written content.
A majority 81 per cent of respondents said they felt positive when they saw content on outbound travel destinations. According to Parulis-Cook, these respondents said such content fascinated them, inspired them to travel outbound, or helped them to escape from daily anxieties.
“In tracking neutral keywords most associated with outbound travel information, we saw a lot of sentiments around wanting to travel internationally. Words were usually involving gastronomy, lovely scenery, beaches, nature and cravings for novel experiences and relaxation – in line with Mengfan’s analysis that the Chinese are wanting to travel to relax,” reflected Parulis-Cook.
However, she warned that outbound travel information could trigger some negative emotions still, especially as frustrations mount over continued travel restrictions. Indeed, 13 per cent of respondents felt that outbound travel was still dangerous, and outbound travel information at such time was unsuitable and insincere.
Parulis-Cook recommended that destination marketers approach messaging carefully, and to apply content that addresses concerns about safety, such as declining cases of new infections and improving rate of national vaccination.
“When we asked respondents about the prerequisites to travel internationally again, we found that travel advisories have the strongest impact,” she said, adding that zero confirmed cases in the destination as well as absence of quarantine on arrival and upon their return are seen as travel motivators.
Other prerequisites for one to return to international travel included the destination’s high vaccination rate of more than 80 per cent and personal vaccination.
“China has already achieved a high national vaccination rate, with a billion residents – about 75 per cent of China’s population – having been fully vaccinated (as of week of September 13). Vaccination rates are particularly high in big cities like Beijing, where outbound travel is most likely to come from,” said Parulis-Cook.
“However, zero confirmed cases in destinations would have to wait a little longer to be achieved,” she said.
In tracking Chinese consumers’ perception of destinations, more ‘unsafe’ and ‘unsure’ sentiments had surfaced in the new study.
Parulis-Cook said that could have happened due to a new rating scale being used. The March scale used a seven-point rating that went from ‘extremely safe’ to ‘extremely unsafe’, while the August scale provided only three options – ‘relatively safe’, ‘unsure’ and ‘relatively unsafe’.
“Because of the new scale, some respondents who previously marked a destination as ‘somewhat safe’ had now moved that opinion to the ‘unsure’ category,” she said.
“One of things that lead us to believe in this is that, with the exception of Japan, the order of the other countries have remained the same between March and September. For example, Singapore is still regarded as one of the safest destination to visit, while the US is the least safe,” she elaborated.
Japan was an exception in the destination perception ranking. Once regarded as among the safest destinations to visit in March, Japan is now rated ‘unsafe’ by 70 per cent of respondents. Parulis-Cook suggested that this might be due to Japan’s rising case numbers and extensive media coverage on Japan’s Covid-19 infections throughout the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.
Dragon Trail International researchers also concluded that rising local infections in many destinations as well as their strategy to live with Covid have impacted destination perceptions, particularly as the latter goes against China’s own stance.
Parulis-Cook concluded that the latest findings have painted an encouraging picture for destination marketers looking at the China market.
“People’s appetite for travel might actually be stronger than their sentiments around safety, and they are happy to receive outbound travel info even though they may feel it is unsafe to travel right now.
“Even if the rating of your destination does not look too good right now, you have time to remedy that,” she said.
In fact, according to ForwardKeys’ China market expert, Nan Dai, a full recovery of Chinese outbound travel could only happen in 2025, and outbound traffic would remain at a standstill until mid-2022.
Her expectation is shaped by China’s zero-case approach and intention to ensure that China remains safe for Olympic athletes. She expects the government to maintain strict travel restrictions until mid-2022 and employ a gradual reopening to international travel after.
Dai also shared that ForwardKeys has downgraded its recovery prediction for 2021, following worsening Covid-19 infections across Asia as new variants emerged. Chinese outbound travel is expected to only recover 12 per cent of 2019’s volume this year. In March, ForwardKeys predicted a 25 per cent recovery by end-2021.
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Wang said the study identified stronger preferences for nature trips, visits to islands and beaches, as well as rural tourism that satiated Chinese travellers’ desire for seclusion and relaxation.
Of the remaining respondents, 23 per cent said the games should open to only domestic spectators, and 25 per cent said it should follow the Tokyo Olympics and play to no spectators at all.
“When we asked respondents about the prerequisites to travel internationally again, we found that travel advisories have the strongest impact,” she said, adding that zero confirmed cases in the destination as well as absence of quarantine on arrival and upon their return are seen as travel motivators.
“One of things that lead us to believe in this is that, with the exception of Japan, the order of the other countries have remained the same between March and September. For example, Singapore is still regarded as one of the safest destination to visit, while the US is the least safe,” she elaborated.
She is a respected and experienced thought leader, having built an outstanding reputation across the travel industry in Asia-Pacific over the past 18 years.
As a champion of diversity, she leads GBT’s internal Global Asian Inclusion Network, which seeks to build awareness of Asian heritage across the company.