Tag: Tourism

Singapore – Changi Airport has launched its newest initiative called ‘Hello, Changi Precinct’ that involves an interactive gallery and a curated district tour of Changi to promote the local district’s tourist attractions to airport visitors.

A newly curated tour of Changi Airport traces the development of the airport from humble origins through the stories of airport staff and visitors. The tour begins in Terminal 1 and guides participants to discover the airport’s recreational spaces, artwork installations, designs, and heritage businesses. 

Participants will also gain a deeper understanding of the airport while exchanging stories with airport staff they meet along the tour, giving them a peek into behind-the-scenes operations that keep Changi Airport running, as well as anecdotes of people who have worked and visited Changi Airport from the past to the present.

In addition to the two new tours, visitors can also sign up for six other tours running till October, each exploring a key area of the Changi Precinct such as Bedok, Pulau Ubin and Pasir Ris. For a more hands-on experience, look forward to curated specialty and craft workshops during the September school holidays, where participants get to meet and learn traditional skills from craftsmen within the precinct.

Lim Ching Kiat, Changi Airport Group’s Managing Director of Air Hub Development, said, “Many of the travellers who fly to Changi Airport are interested to venture beyond the airport to explore the Changi Precinct, which is rich with local history and culture. Hence, Changi Airport Group has been working with various partners around Changi Airport over the last two years to promote appreciation of the many hidden gems of the eastern part of Singapore.” 

He added, “We invite local residents and travellers to kickstart their journey of exploring the charms of Singapore’s East through the “Hello, Changi Precinct” gallery. We hope this allows them to understand the Changi Precinct deeper and encourage exploration of lesser-known spots in Singapore.” 

The ‘Hello, Changi Precinct’ gallery will run till 23 October 2022 at T3 Departure Hall. Admission is free. Meanwhile, precinct tour prices start from S$20 per person.

Travel and tourism marketing has taken a different turn due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The major tourism industries have ceased activities in response to travel restrictions, which include the closing of airports, hotels, and travel agencies, as well as restrictions on mass gatherings worldwide, amongst others. This inevitably spills over to consumption behaviour where tourists have drastically shifted their lifestyles, coming to realise the risk and safety of the global health crisis.

Two years after the pandemic outbreak, travel restrictions and quarantines are now being lifted around the world. Many countries have started various marketing and promotional tourism campaigns to support travel recovery. For instance, the tourism marketing agencies of Maldives and Malaysia have recently announced their efforts in boosting inbound travel. Thailand has also launched many travel campaigns this year, like the recent partnership of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai AirAsia, jointly promoting travel to Thailand in key ASEAN and South Asian markets by utilising the airline’s increasing regional flight network.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the country’s Department of Tourism (DOT) has recently unveiled its new campaign called ‘It’s More Fun for All’, aimed at promoting inclusiveness and accessibility in the tourism sector. Moreover, DOT has launched a special playlist on Spotify, ‘Sounds More Fun in the Philippines’, which is a compilation of specially selected Filipino music that aims to welcome listeners back to the Philippine destinations they love, letting them relive epic travel memories. 

Another interesting campaign from DOT is the ‘ASMR Experience the Philippines‘ project, which seeks to bring people to certain destinations through ASMR videos that explore the natural sounds of a place, allowing one to tune into nature and be fully present in the moment.

As tourism in the Philippines has shown signs of bouncing back now that we are in the new normal, MARKETECH APAC’s The Inner State spoke with Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones, Tourism Promotions Board Philippines’ (TPB) chief operating officer, and June Allenie Caccam, AirAsia’s head of marketing for the Philippines, to learn more about the marketing and promotional efforts of the travel and tourism industry today in the country.

Marketing and brand strategy of the Philippines’ tourism sector

While the pandemic has given the travel industry some pressing challenges, it also presented unique opportunities. According to Velasco-Allones of TPB, physical events and out-of-home advertising, which were very strong avenues for MICE and business travel promotions in the Philippines, were rendered moot at the height of the pandemic. However, the lockdown became an opportunity for the destinations to recuperate and recover from over-tourism.

At the same time, the Philippines took this time to rebuild a greener and more sustainable tourism industry. This allowed them to revitalise the tourism products they were going to market as soon as borders reopened.

“We increased our support to community-based tourism sites, providing various assistance in terms of enhancing capacities, particularly retooling skills in areas like digital marketing and leveraging the use of social media. Coincidentally, the pandemic made more tourists aware of the carbon footprint they leave when travelling; they now prefer less crowded destinations and those that support local communities,” said Velasco-Allones. 

Meanwhile, for airlines, Caccam listed some of the challenges they faced during the outbreak. This includes questions on safety, the uncertainty of lockdowns, changing intercity travel protocols, and emerging new COVID-19 variants, as well as the expenses to travel due to testing protocols and quarantine requirements.

“Along with the challenges came opportunities because people were forced to learn to adapt to new technologies and be more present online. Most brands fast-tracked their digital pivot to address the changing customer habits,” said Caccam.

In terms of the influence and marketing strategy reorientation in reigniting travel, TPB has developed new avenues to reach its stakeholders in the digital space.

“The pandemic [also] allowed us to strengthen our domestic tourism program. We were able to promote lesser-known destinations, and, through intensive policy implementation on health and safety protocols, we were able to reopen particular destinations and curate more exclusive experiences,” said Velasco-Allones.

For AirAsia, Caccam said they had to go back to the drawing board and identify the new pain points of its customers and the additional steps needed to include in their booking and travel journey. The airline has maximised all its digital assets to push relevant content to alleviate customers’ uncertainty like disseminating information about the different travel requirements and reminding them of the travel protocols a few days before their flight. 

“We also leveraged on ‘collaborative tourism’ and strengthened our partnerships with different stakeholders in the tourism industry such as the Department of Tourism, local tours and restaurants, and hotel and resort partners,” she added.

As the pandemic-related travel restrictions are now being eased, there are factors the tourism sector considers when creating tourism campaigns during the new normal. For TPB, the imperatives in creating tourism campaigns post-pandemic are revisiting the new avenues where the audience consumes content, redirecting its efforts in building travel confidence, and making sure that its tourism products and services are both sustainable and inclusive for this discerning market of travellers. While for AirAsia, the campaigns are now more personalised based on the segment, destination, and travel behaviour.

Future of tourism in the Philippines

Technology in the tourism sector will primarily be adopted in its marketing and business engagement from the point of sale to the collection of feedback, according to TPB.

Velasco-Allones noted, “Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and the Metaverse are just new platforms by which we intend to engage our current and potential consumers. The unique virtual environments will allow for availment, enjoyment, and sharing of tourism experiences in a broader more visually immersive digital world.”

Meanwhile, Caccam shared, “These technologies such as AR/VR and meta verse are innovative and creative channels that can help brands acquire new customers, provide a wider reach and upsell new products by bringing to their homes the brand experience.”

And now that the Philippines’ borders are open to international tourists, the tourism sector is working continuously on improving the systems to ensure that visitors will have a seamless and still fun experience for the duration of their stay in the country. 

Velasco-Allones said, “One of our approaches is keeping our tourists up-to-date with the latest travel advisories and health requirements for local destinations through digital innovations. The TPB also continues to enhance its digital content development and distribution to make sure we are able to promote the Philippines on all relevant platforms.”

Caccam also shared, “AirAsia is a digital and lifestyle platform for everyone and we aim to be our customer’s everyday app. We are more than just an airline, we are a one-stop-shop for all your travel and lifestyle needs.”

Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) presents its first podcast entitled ‘Escape: Stories from the Road,’ showcasing the best destinations in the Philippines through stories from different personalities. The podcast will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other platforms.

This five-episode ‘podumentary’, a combination of podcast and documentary, infuses an element of storytelling, veering away from the usual question-and-answer formats of podcasts. Through these stories, the DOT hopes to reach out to the various audiences and inspire them to participate in meaningful tourism through unique experiences and local interactions.

Each episode follows a theme, such as adventure, identity, fiestas, music and food. Among the notable individuals interviewed for this podcast are National Artist Kidlat Tahimik; Dr Felicidad Prudente, who is one of the leading Filipino ethnomusicologists in the country today; and former tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

The first episode on adventure features some of the best outdoor experiences in Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, and Camotes Island; while the identity episode brings the audience from Baguio to Davao to share stories of people who, in finding the path to gain their identity, found the path to greatness.

The episode on music explores the sounds of the islands, from the city to the remote forests of the Philippines, emphasizing that music not only serves to entertain but to preserve history in our soundscape. The fiesta episode discusses how Filipino festivals have evolved from honouring patron saints to highlighting the best of the towns and provinces.

For the food episode that was recorded in May, ex-tourism secretary Puyat shared her advocacy in supporting local farmers and how this led to further development of food and farm tourism in the country.

DOT’s ‘Escape: Stories from the Road’ podcast is hosted by travel filmmaker and photographer Aaron Palabyab along with guest co-hosts, national athlete Maureen Schrijvers; designer, musician, and filmmaker Kate Torralba; and the sports broadcaster and podcaster Cesca Litton. 

Singapore — New preferences are surfacing as travellers start to emerge from the thick of the COVID pandemic over the past two years. Outbound bookings grew four times in May in APAC compared to earlier this year, signalling that the travel bug is stronger than ever, with overseas travel firmly back on the table, according to a report by travel and leisure e-commerce platform, Klook.

According to the latest traveller trends research, users in APAC prefer travelling with friends, with only 30% expressing interest in taking a spontaneous solo vacation. This is a far cry from pre-pandemic days when 79% of millennials polled were more eager to embark on a solo trip. The insights reveal that travellers are craving shared experiences, especially after the pandemic.

The insights also showed that users in the region want to be pampered. 60% would rather indulge in a luxurious trip than embark on a backpacking holiday. Concurrently, they are also keen on taking slower vacations. 7 in 10 seek a laid-back trip over a rugged budget adventure – Singapore users come in above this average at 80%.

The pandemic has undoubtedly challenged many people, and travellers increasingly seek travel moments that help them unwind and relax to the fullest. In Singapore, 60% of users expressed their preference to relax in the most pampered way possible – starting off with breakfast in bed followed by a relaxing spa day.

Locally in Singapore, research also shows that 60% of users are seeking to escape the sweltering heat with a preference for visiting a cooler destination, compared to the 40% of users who said they prefer a tropical one for their next vacation. Interestingly, Klook’s insights also reveal that 6 out of 10 Singapore users also have a preference to splurge and indulge in luxury.

Sarah Wan, GM of Klook Singapore, said, “Travelling now is more than just taking a mental break. It’s about discovering what brings them joy and reconnecting with loved ones. With travel back on everyone’s agenda, we are excited to bring back the wonders of travel through our wide variety of experiences anytime, anywhere.”

Philippines — The advocacy programs of the Department of Tourism (DOT) take centre stage in ‘It’s More Fun for All’, a new campaign that promotes inclusiveness and accessibility in the tourism sector.

The campaign features a video series on stories and case studies of actual tourism workers who have benefitted from the DOT’s advocacy programs. Among them is the Association of Boat Operators president, Ka Tung Samson; community tour guide, Rubelyn Sarigumba; Virginia Dominguez, a weaver from Ilocos Sur; Isang Ibrahim, a community tourism worker of Sta. Cruz, Zamboanga; Manila deaf tour guide, Emerson; and PLT. Maricel Guevarra, commander in chief of the Boracay Investigation and Detective Management Section.

The campaign highlights DOT programs namely: Tourism Integrates, Supports and Minds Women’s Rights and Child Safety (TouRISM WoRCS); Barrier-free Tourism (BFT); and the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE).

TouRISM WoRCS is an advocacy program of the DOT that aims to educate tourism stakeholders on their role in eradicating women and children abuses within the tourism sector. Meanwhile, the BFT advocacy program enables travellers with accessibility needs, such as PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant women to participate in and enjoy tourism experiences with utmost comfort and convenience while providing opportunities for physically challenged individuals to be part of the tourism industry.

Lastly, the FBSE program is envisioned to enhance and uplift the quality of tourism services in the country. It is designed to promote service excellence in all tourism establishments by capacitating the country’s tourism workforce with a unique and exceptional way of delivering customer service.

Berna Romulo-Puyat, DOT secretary, said, “Through this campaign, we believe that our advocacies on women empowerment, persons with disability, and the protection of children in tourism, will get the much-needed support from our local governments and tourism stakeholders in making our industry more inclusive, accessible, safe, and fun for all.”

Puyat added, “The DOT’s advocacy programs are envisioned to represent everything that is good about our tourism industry. They serve as a guide to all our partner agencies and stakeholders in properly dealing with all kinds of tourists, providing opportunities for all kinds of people, and protecting the vulnerable groups of the sector.”

Singapore – With the reopening of borders and easing of travel restrictions globally, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is inviting guests to celebrate the return of travel through the extension of the ‘Stay Longer, Save More’ campaign until September 30 2022. The promotion allows for savings of up to 20% off for three or more consecutive nights’ stay by 30 September 2022 and other exciting discount opportunities.

Further sweetening the resumption of travel, members can earn Wyndham Rewards points when they complete their stay by September 30, 2022. Wyndham Rewards is one of the world’s best hotel rewards programs with more than 50,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals with a plethora of enticing perks and points.

Under the ongoing ‘Stay Twice and Earn a Free Night’ promotion, members can stack their rewards and will be awarded 7500 bonus points after completing 2 qualified stays when they register and book on the Wyndham Hotels website by September 2, 2022, and complete their qualified stays by September 6, 2022. Valid for four years, Wyndham Rewards points can be saved for use or redeemed anytime to satiate members’ thirst for travel.

Some featured hotels by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts include the Ramada by Wyndham Newmarket Auckland, the Wyndham Bangkok Queen Convention Centre, the Wyndham Garden Cam Ranh Resort, and Wingate by Wyndham Sanya Luhuitou, and many more.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Tourism Malaysia, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture Malaysia, has partnered with global travel platform Expedia Group, for a joint-marketing collaboration to support Malaysia’s domestic and international efforts to promote tourism in Malaysia.

Aligned with Tourism Malaysia’s tourism promotion strategies, the agreement will see both parties embark on an Expedia Group Media Solutions global campaign to promote inbound travel from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to Malaysia. It will spotlight Malaysia’s hidden and unique tourist attractions, as well as promote the variety of accommodations to Expedia Group’s more than 750 million monthly visitors globally.

Moreover, the collaboration will support the country’s target of achieving two million tourist arrivals and RM8.6b in tourist spending, set for its national ‘Malaysia Truly Asia 2022’ campaign.

Doug Park, Expedia Group Media Solutions’ vice president of operations and services, said, “As the world’s travel platform, Expedia Group is proud to be embarking on this journey with Tourism Malaysia to promote and help Malaysia rebuild its reign as a top tourist destination in the region, connecting Malaysia’s tourism industry to millions of travellers in Expedia Group’s worldwide network.”

Meanwhile, Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Binti Shukri, the minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, said, “The Internet of Things (IoT) is no longer a stranger to us, and we have become comfortable with this new norm. It is only crucial for the tourism industry to step onto the bandwagon and be one with this new trend and lifestyle.”

Aside from boosting promotion internationally, Tourism Malaysia is also continuing with its focus on further enhancing its domestic promotion with the local media. In addition, the agency has introduced nine mainstream and new media, namely ASTRO, Media Prima Omnia, Star Media Group, RTM, Sinar Harian, Nanyang Siang Pau, Borneo Post, Free Malaysia Today, and BFM 89.9 Radio, as well as two ambient media which are KLIA TV and AEON, who will work together with Tourism Malaysia in enhancing the Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Campaign for the year 2022, to produce a series of branded contents and niche programmes emphasising on the PRE 2.0 projects, to cater for the local market.

“Tourism Malaysia will be intensifying the campaign together with these respective platforms through various means, including electronics, print, and digital, covering tourist destinations within Malaysia. A special thanks to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Malaysia (KPKT) for providing us with their digital billboards across the states in Malaysia,” added Shukri.

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with Traveloka and Trans Digital Media to welcome Indonesian travellers in Singapore as part of its ‘SingapoReimagine’ recovery campaign.

To drive visitation, STB has undertaken these two Memoranda of Cooperation (MoC), which is their first key lifestyle and travel partnerships inked in Indonesia since the pandemic, to position Singapore as the holiday destination of choice with great offers following the city’s reopening to fully-vaccinated visitors with no quarantine and testing requirements under the Vaccinated Travel Framework.

In addition, STB has partnered with three Indonesian celebrities; Sarah Sechan, Marissa Nasution dan Denada Tambunan to showcase a different side of what the city has to offer, from exciting new attractions and novel dining concepts to wellness retreats and sustainable experiences for its 3-part SingapoReimagine video series.

John Conceicao, executive director Southeast Asia, of the Singapore Tourism Board, said, “With the strong rebound in the Indonesia market in recent months as a result of quarantine-free and test-free travel for the fully vaccinated, we are doubling down on our SingapoReimagine recovery campaign to maintain top-of-mind awareness and recapture mindshare amongst our target audiences. Through our partnerships with Traveloka and Trans Digital Media we hope to entice Indonesian travellers with a wide range of curated tactical offers such as flight and hotel packages and other lifestyle offerings to drive and sustain visitorship through to next year.”

The partnership with Traveloka will drive interest to a wider target audience and provide an easier booking experience for Singapore offerings across five markets in the Southeast Asia region, namely Indonesia, Malaysia Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam. STB Indonesia had previously partnered with Traveloka in 2019 before the pandemic, and with the improving travel situation regionally, this partnership is timely to reignite the pent-up travel demand and sustain the recovery momentum.

Shirley Lesmana, chief marketing officer at Traveloka, commented, “We are very excited to partner up with STB to offer many of Singapore’s reimagined experiences through our all-encompassing superapp. Before the pandemic, Singapore was consistently amongst the top 3 tourist destinations for Indonesians, and we are hoping that this partnership will continue the momentum, revitalising the wanderlust in Indonesians to travel to Singapore.”

Meanwhile, STB hopes its first of its kind partnership with the Trans Digital Media group will help to drive demand and actual bookings for leisure travel to Singapore. The partnership with Trans Digital Media will see AntaVaya – one of Indonesia’s largest travel agencies, creating new Singapore products supported by exclusive Bank Mega deals and promoted throughout their media and retail outlets nationally.

Abdul Aziz, president director at Trans Digital Media, said “We believe that people are eager to start travelling again as the global situation continues to improve and allows for safer travel. We are truly excited about the collaboration with STB to strengthen the appeal of its tourism offerings to the Indonesian market. With this partnership, we hope to be able to support Singapore’s tourism recovery to emerge even stronger than before.”

Maldives – The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), the national tourism office of the Maldives responsible for carrying out promotional activities, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the flag carrier airline Qatar Airways, aimed at increasing inbound air traffic to the Maldives. 

The MOU was signed at the Qatar Airways Stand, on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) last 9 May 2022, at the Dubai World Trade Center. It was signed on behalf of Thoyyib Mohamed, MMPRC’s CEO and managing director, and Thierry Antinori, Qatar Airways’ chief commercial officer.

As per the agreement, both partners will be launching joint promotional and marketing activities in key identified markets, with the objective of increasing inbound air traffic to the Maldives. The activities include launching joint B2B and B2C campaigns, organising familiarisation trips for travel partners and media influencers, and working on joint activities with trade partners. It further stipulates aligning on future plans, with both parties assessing and contributing in order to implement the activities within the target markets to promote the Maldives as a travel destination.

Speaking at a panel discussion held during the 9th Arab Aviation Summit in Dubai earlier this year, Mohamed noted that the tourism and the aviation industry should work closely together to overcome challenges. He had also referred to the important role the Middle East plays as a growing source market for the Maldives, as well as the central hub for a large number of tourists. 

MMPRC is currently representing the Maldives at ATM 2022, the global event for the inbound and outbound travel industry in the Middle East. It aims to support the travel industry and facilitate important business connections.

In January 2022, MMPRC has partnered with British mass media firm News UK, to launch a new campaign that aims to drive brand awareness for the country as a holiday destination.

Manila, Philippines – PH telco PLDT has launched ‘GoCamNorte’, an official tourism application for the country’s province Camarines Norte, during the annual Bantayog Festival and the province’s celebration of its 102nd founding anniversary. Developed in collaboration with telco Smart and media company InnoPub Media, the new ‘GoCamNorte’ app aims to boost the number of visitors in the Bicol region’s northernmost province as travel restrictions are gradually lifted. 

With the new app, tourists and locals will be able to learn more about Camarines Norte’s best destinations and heritage sites even before they visit the province using mobile technology. It also has interactive markers that provide contactless delivery of information through QR codes.

Moreover, the new app also links visitors to important government hotlines and accredited tour operators, resorts, and accommodations. This gives tourists the assurance that the businesses they patronise have undergone the necessary training so they can offer a safe and memorable experience.

Stephanie Orlino, Smart’s assistant vice president and head of community relations, said, “Smart continues to empower the communities we serve through our technology-enabled programs. Now that we are slowly opening our doors to visitors, our digital tourism application can help provinces like Camarines Norte share and promote the many wonderful sites to visit, as well as travel guidelines for tourists.”

Meanwhile, Mariano “Bong” Palma, the provincial tourism officer of Camarines Norte, noted, “This digital innovation gives the public easy access to necessary information about the province. The platform also allows us to push messages quickly for updates.”

Max Limpag, InnoPub Media’s co-founder, said, “With the use of smartphones, we can enable safe and contactless delivery of tourism, cultural and historical information, right in the hands of travellers, enhancing their overall experience.”

The ‘GoCamNorte’ app can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store or from the Apple App Store.