Singapore, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong have emerged as the top five cities within Asia-Pacific, according to the Asia Pacific Destination Report 2019 published by American Express Meetings & Events, a division of American Express Global Business Travel (GBT).
The American Express Meetings & Events survey also revealed the key drivers behind this as relating to minimal travel times within Asia-Pacific countries, cultural variety, cost, and the emergence of attractive second-tier meeting cities.
The report surveyed 200 Meetings & Events professionals across the region, focusing on the top five meetings and events cities, as ranked by Cvent’s annual destinations list.
According to the research, 47% of meeting planners are seeing a strong interest in operating meetings within the region, while 63% said this interest was increasing.
“We anticipate that Asia-Pacific would continue to rise in popularity globally as a meetings and events destination, but to see such a level of interest across a spectrum of cities is encouraging for the longer-term success of the region,” said Jamie Roseburgh, market leader, Singapore, India and ASEAN, American Express Meetings & Events.
“Our research shows respondents enjoyed the relatively short travel times and the different cultural experiences that come within a wide variety of nearby destinations. As meeting planners face increased pressure to provide unique experiences, they can look to Asia-Pacific as an appealing destination,” added Roseburgh.
Despite Asia-Pacific’s rising popularity, the region is not without challenges. Potential language barriers across countries, as well as rising costs, have been identified as possible obstacles when deciding on a destination.
The 2019 Global Meetings Forecast from American Express Meetings & Events further revealed that costs are rising faster than budgets, with hotel rates within Asia Pacific expected to rise by an average of 1.1%, while overall meeting spend across the region is expected to rise by only 0.9%.
Roseburgh said: “Well-established global cities such as Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore are typically considered expensive for executing large-scale meetings or events. As planners are under increasing pressure to maximise every dollar spent, this may fuel greater interest in countries such as Vietnam and Thailand where new experiences can often be delivered at a lower price point.
To reduce risks, such as safety hazards or dealing with disreputable operators, it’s common for meeting organisers to stick to cities and suppliers with which they’re familiar. While it’s likely that increased business and leisure travel to new cities will increase familiarity and possible Meetings and Events interest, meetings organisers should also conduct suitable due diligence in new, interesting, and cost-effective locations, to increase their options for future events.”
A full copy of the Asia Pacific Destinations Report 2019 can be downloaded here.
Grab for Business is enlarging its role beyond ground transportation and will roll out a corporate food delivery service by 3Q2019 to help corporate customers cater for in-house or off-site events and meetings.
This will follow its May launch of Grab Logistics, done in partnership with Ninja Van, for delivery of bigger parcels.
Also on the drawing board is Grab for Business finding a role for and working with TMCs, according to Dileep Kannan, regional director – Grab for Business, a speaker at the recent ACTE Singapore Education Forum.
Grab for Business now has 10,000 corporate accounts, and individuals signing up for Business Profile in the main Grab app is registering month-on-month growth of between 10 and 15 per cent, he noted.
Business Profile, a feature within the Grab app, allows individual employees in companies with a flexible travel policy to separate their business rides from their personal ones, schedule a monthly automatic statement and link it with an expense management provider such as Concur, Chrome River and Expensify.
To help corporates achieve “cost efficiency” in managing what they describe as the “fragmented” ground transportation landscape, Grab for Business offers Grab Concierge, a web-booking interface for up to 50 cars.
Kannan told TTGmice that there have been many requests for new services, and Grab is evaluating them.
He said: “A few of our corporate customers have asked Grab for Business if they can pay a subscription fee and maintain a flat fare for all their business rides, even during peak surge periods. While we appreciate the feedback, we have no plans for such a service at this time.”
A solution around surge pricing could be Grab Rent, a service available in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Users can book a dedicated Grab five-star rated driver and a six-seater vehicle in slots of three, six, nine and 12 hours, where prices are fixed and transparent. Payment can be by cash, credit card or corporate billing (by companies) for the on-demand service, via the Grab app or Concierge Web Booking,” explained Kannan.
Meanwhile, Kannan said Grab for Business is conducting a pilot in Vietnam where corporate travellers have the option to pay a higher fare to secure a five-star rated driver and vehicle.
A few companies in Vietnam have also asked Grab to explore offering executive-class vehicles for their senior management to utilise while booking business rides, he added.
A dedicated 24/7 call centre and a corporate GrabShare solution for employees in different departments booking transport to a similar destination are recent corporate requests received and being looked at.