Tag: Travel

Delhi, India – As India continues to grapple with the second wave of the pandemic, people have been advised to stay indoors to curb the spread of the virus. However, constant reminders of beautiful locations and serene beaches on social media can potentially trigger housebound travelers to put their pending travel plans in action. 

To urge people to avoid non-essential travel, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has launched a social media campaign series, consisting of travel quotes with a twist, done in collaboration with 22feet Tribal Worldwide, the media agency by advertising holding company DDB Mudra Group.

The new campaign by DIAL aims to put the national interest first, for the safety of the people and the country. It was brought to life by putting a unique spin on often used terms such as ‘Carpe Diem’ and ‘Wanderlust’ with visuals that are looking out from a window, showing beautiful locations but from the safety of one’s home. The idea was to play around with people’s expectations of such inspiring travel quotes.

Debashish Ghosh, the national creative director at 22feet Tribal Worldwide, said that social media captures an individual’s imagination, especially when they are cooped up in their home with a limited set of activities. 

He further shared that in the current scenario, staying home is the best way to protect ourselves, and leisure travel must be avoided. 

“While DIAL is at the forefront of receiving and facilitating aid flights as well as Vande Bharat flights from across the globe; the travel facilitator also took on the responsibility to dissuade people from non-essential travel. The team deployed a counter-intuitive take on popular travel verbiage to inject the message with a dose of levity. And that’s how this campaign came to fruition,” said Ghosh.

The campaign is already available across social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

New Zealand – Tourism New Zealand, the organization tasked to promote the country’s tourism around the world, has recently launched a new campaign targeted at its regional neighbor – Australia – to encourage the country’s locals who happen to be the country’s largest former international visitor market, to come explore and renew their wanderlust towards New Zealand. 

Done in partnership with creative agency Special Group Australia, the campaign titled ‘Stop Dreaming about New Zealand and Go’ takes a quirky turn with a depiction of an Australian dreaming about New Zealand from his sleep, and is then is then taken through a range of the country’s popular attractions including National Parks and even stargazing with a surreal giant Kiwi.

According to research by Tourism New Zealand, about 77% of Australians are actively considering traveling to the country on holiday, followed by 27% who want to visit their family, with 15% to visit friends.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy shared that despite record numbers of Kiwis ‘doing something new’ and traveling domestically, there is an estimated $12.9B annual gap from the loss of international visitors, and the return of Australian visitors is projected to help reduce this gap with both domestic tourists and international visits making up 70% the pre-COVID visitor market.

“The campaign is designed to tap into people’s renewed desire to explore and showcases New Zealand’s natural environment, experiences, and the warm welcome of our people. We are seeing longer itineraries being booked by Australians which helps support travel to more remote locations within New Zealand,” said Monchy.

According to Ann Lockhart, the interim chief executive of Destination Queenstown, Australia is likewise a hugely important visitor market for Queenstown, particularly over winter when Australian visitors previously made up around 50% of all of our international visits.

“The ability to welcome them here is a huge boost for Queenstown and we are delighted the trans-Tasman bubble is open and our tourism operators are open and ready to welcome our Australian friends back,” said Lockhart.

In line with the campaign, Tourism New Zealand has also released a toolkit for interested partners who want to adopt and integrate with the campaign. The kit provides an overview of the campaign, the creative assets, and details on how partners can get involved through their own channels. The kit is available for download through its website.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – As Malaysia ramps up its vaccination efforts, airlines have been preparing themselves to aid customers on their travel plans across the nation this year with the launch of different travel passes. 

Last March, airasia has released its ASEAN unlimited pass, and this time Malaysia Airlines has also jumped in with the latest ‘MHflypass’. 

‘MHflypass’ is a product that offers the option to secure customers’ travels for the year at an affordable price. It aims to extend ‘value-for-flights’ to customers, enabling them to purchase flight coupons at a fixed attractive price that gives them full flexibility, convenience, and control over their spending for the flights.

The ‘MHflypass’ is subdivided into three convenient options for passengers based on their destination origin, allowing them to choose the zone that matches their travel needs best. The Zone 1 option allows passengers to fly from Peninsular Malaysia destinations to Kuala Lumpur and vice versa, as well as flights between destinations within Sabah and Sarawak, while Zone 2 option offers passengers the opportunity to fly to Kuala Lumpur from destinations in Sabah and Sarawak, alongside flights between destinations within Peninsular Malaysia, with a connection through Kuala Lumpur. And lastly, Zone 3 option allows passengers to fly from Sabah and Sarawak to Peninsular Malaysia destinations, with a connection in Kuala Lumpur.

Each set of ‘MHflypass’ comes with six flight coupons, equivalent to the option of three return or six one-way flights, to destinations across Malaysia throughout a period of one year, at only RM699. Early birds can grab the ‘MHflypass’ at a promotional price as low as RM499 for the domestic pass, valid for purchase until 2 May 2021 for all-year-round travel dates in 2021 and beyond.

Furthermore, the members of the airline’s frequent flyer program Enrich who will purchase the ‘MHflypass’ can receive 50% bonus points upon purchase, which can be used to redeem amazing promotions with Enrich brand partners or for discounts or free travel.

“We have created this new product to spur domestic travel and to make it more attractive for our passengers to catch up on all the traveling they have missed, and at the same time, assuring them the peace of mind to fly with us with our #FlyConfidently measures put in place,” said Lau Yin May, the group chief marketing and customer experience officer of Malaysia Airlines.

On 16 April 2021, Malaysia Airlines has also announced the extension of rebooking travel flexibility that offers passengers a longer ticket validity with a one-time fare difference and service fee waiver, following the prolonged travel restrictions imposed by countries and interstate travel for domestic destinations.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Now that vaccination efforts are fast developing in the region, AirAsia has readied itself to welcome travelers with open arms when travel restrictions further ease with the launch of ASEAN Unlimited, a new product that would offer unlimited travel as well as free e-commerce delivery on its Asean super app for Malaysia-based AirAsia BIG members. 

The users can enjoy unlimited flights to destinations within Malaysia, which include Alor Setar, Langkawi, Penang, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor Bahru. They can also opt to travel around ASEAN countries – Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines.

By purchasing ASEAN Unlimited, consumers can also enjoy unlimited free delivery for every order made on AirAsia Shop, Fresh, and Food, which is available until 26 March 2022 for deliveries in the Klang Valley with more locations in the future.

The pass is priced at RM599 and is available to purchase on airasia.com/deals or the airasia ASEAN super app from 3 March (1000hrs MYT) to 7 March 2021 (2359h MYT). BigPay users will enjoy RM50 off their purchase when they pay with BigPay until 5 March 2021.

AirAsia has also extended the travel period of its previous AirAsia Unlimited Pass Cuti-Cuti Malaysia from 31 March to 30 June 2021. Launched in June 2020, the AirAsia Unlimited Pass Cuti-Cuti Malaysia, which costs RM399, allows pass holders to redeem unlimited flights (flight code AK) within Malaysia.

Furthermore, the AirAsia X Unlimited Pass and AirAsia Unlimited Pass Cuti-Cuti Malaysia pass holders are also entitled to Unlimited Free Delivery on airasia shop, food, and fresh until 30 June 2021.

CEO of AirAsia Group Tony Fernandes commented that they have always been a disruptor and this time they are taking another unprecedented step to launch ASEAN Unlimited, as Airasia has expanded into a super app, offering much more than just travel products, e-commerce, and fintech products. AirAsia has received many positive responses and support on their new offerings, and they want to continue providing value to the customers.

“With positive developments on COVID-19 vaccination across the region, we are revving up our engines to ensure a smooth take-off when travel returns. As part of our preparations to welcome the recovery of air travel in the region and to further stimulate the local economy, we hope that this product can also catalyze as the ASEAN tourism industry gears itself for a post-Covid revival,” said Fernandes.

Meanwhile, the CEO of airasia.com Karen Chan said that they are thrilled by the highly positive response when Airasia Unlimited’s buy-now-travel-later pass was introduced in 2020.

“This time, we are offering even greater value to our customers by allowing ASEAN Unlimited pass-holders to redeem unlimited flights both domestically within Malaysia and internationally across ASEAN (when borders reopen on flight code AK) for future travel from 17 March 2021 up to 26 March 2022, subject to availability of flights. Aside from flights, pass-holders will also have unlimited access to free delivery services across the airasia shop, airasia food, and airasia fresh. Delivery is currently available within the Klang Valley with upcoming expansion into more cities across Malaysia,” added Chan.

Singapore – Digital travel platform Agoda has launched GoLocal Tonight, a new feature to allow users to create and plan their spontaneous travel itinerary, a direct response to the increase in demand for last-minute travel searches for same-day and next-day overnight hotel stays. 

Through the platform, travelers looking for spontaneous last-minute travel can benefit from even greater savings from Agoda’s GoLocal Tonight deals when they make a same-day booking.

With the launch of GoLocal Tonight, thousands of hotel and accommodation providers across Asia Pacific have signed up to offer travelers up to 30% additional discount off last-minute reservations.

Agoda-GoLocal-Tonight-Feature-Survey

Data from Agoda noted that Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand are the top three Asia Pacific markets to embrace the impromptu travel experience searching for same-day check-ins. These markets are followed by travelers from Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, India, the Philippines, South Korea, and Singapore.

“There’s a growing group of travelers choosing last-minute adventures – couch dwellers who might make spontaneous decisions to either watch a show or book a staycation for the thrill of it. GoLocal Tonight appeals to this new segment of canny, impulse travelers who are looking out for and are incentivized by low prices to take advantage of same-day deals. It’s a win-win for both partners and travelers,” said Enric Casals, regional director at Agoda.

Hong Kong – Travel has been and is continuously being restricted in the name of safety precautions amid the pandemic, and people are raring to relish their wanderlust, where one of the top reasons is to be able to reconnect with friends. 

Across age brackets, Gen Zs in APAC feel the unhappiest about limited travel for social reconnect, with 85% in the region, according to a survey by travel and leisure booking platform Klook and marketing research firm YouGov. This was followed by Millennials in the region (86%), Gen Xs (81%), and Baby Boomers (77%).

Respondents across APAC were also found to used to use travel to make new friends, where more than half, or 60%, stated they resent not being able to do such in the middle of limited travel. Similarly, Gen Zs accounted for the majority of this group with 70%, which doesn’t come as a surprise with the generation known to value social currency the most.

The study also showed that people want to resume traveling to be able to “escape their from families.” Gen Zs and millennials feel strongly about this with 66% and 62% respectively, which can be attributed to months-long confinement with family members during lockdowns.

Due to lower confidence in traveling and stricter cross-border clearances, the study also found that people are extra careful in spending their vacation leaves at work. Respondents revealed they are having difficulty in using their annual leave or holiday breaks without feeling like they are “wasting it,” which is especially true for Gen Zs (73%) and Millennials (71%). 

Having unearthed such insights, Klook coins the term “Wanderlost,” which it refers to as the longing for travel. 

Its Vice President for APAC Marketing Marcus Yong said, “From wanderlust to wanderlost, people unmistakably miss traveling this 2020 and are keen to scratch that travel itch. Despite international travel restrictions, we can still easily remedy our ‘wanderlost symptoms’ with the endless things-to-do in our own backyard.”

Singapore – As Singapore’s multi-currency mobile wallet YouTrip reaches its four-month mark in the short video platform TikTok, it shared how it maxes out the platform’s massive userbase to stay present in consumers’ minds. 

YouTrip established its TikTok account in June of this year, and as of current, it has a total of 32.5k followers and has garnered 691.3k likes across its videos.

YouTrip’s service comes with a prepaid Mastercard and enables users to pay in over 150 currencies with no fees. Branded as a “travel” wallet, its TikTok videos circle lifestyle content, such as tips on how to enjoy international destinations such as Spain, a list of the “coolest” Apple shops, and how one can get a taste of travel through whipping up different versions of super grain bowls. 

The brand revealed that it uses a two-pronged approach to leverage its presence in TikTok: making informative content and staying relevant to trends.

For valuable content, it adopted a strategy of adapting original blog articles that had performed well to the TikTok format. During the firm’s content planning process, it identified e-commerce shopping guides and hotel reviews as such. One of its most successful TikTok videos featured a guide to get the “Cheapest Nintendo Switch,” garnering over 119k views to date.

@youtripsg

If you know someone looking to buy a Nintendo Switch, share this with them! 💜👆🏼👀 #nintendoswitch #gaming #videogames #youtripsg #foryoupage #fyp

♬ original sound – YouTrip SG – YouTrip SG

In terms of staying within the wave of trends, YouTrip identified that it is vital to be the first-mover in driving reactive content on trending topics, audios, or hashtags.

Hopping onto the challenges bandwagon, YouTrip took an informative spin on the challenge featuring the trending song Kings and Queens by American singer Ava Max. In such challenge, users showcased culture and traditional costumes. YouTrip took the opportunity to emphasize its branding on travel and culture, and published a version featuring real queens from around the world. The rendition garnered over two million views and 12.8k followers in two weeks.

@youtripsg

We stan a true queen 👸. Like for part 2! #learnontiktok #youtripsg #kingsandqueens #queen

♬ original sound – YouTrip SG – YouTrip SG

The brand shared that by driving travel content, it also aims to strengthen its brand positioning to remain top-of-mind for when travel rebounds.

Head of Marketing Jeremy Lim said that curating meaningful content that resonates with users has been the core of YouTrip’s marketing strategies.

“Our venture into TikTok allows us to tap into our creativity to find new ways to connect with our users. We encourage brands to consider including TikTok in their marketing mix as well if they aim to establish themselves as relatable and reliable,” he said.

Chew Wee Ng, head of SEA business marketing at TikTok also commented, “TikTok is about embracing the creative, positive, and real moments that make our community so special, with solutions for businesses to connect and grow with our wonderfully expressive community.”

Ng also emphasized that with the right content strategy and a touch of authenticity, any brand can find success on the global stage with TikTok.

“YouTrip’s rapid growth on the platform is a prime example. As one of the first movers, they’ve incorporated TikTok early into their marketing mix and are now reaping its successes through a customized content strategy, collaboration with the TikTok community, and growing with a global audience,” said Ng.

Australia – In the middle of months-long country lockdowns and travel restrictions, Australian and Kiwi locals are showing eagerness to travel with South Pacific island Mo’orea in French Polynesia and the Great Southern Region in Western Australia topping their destination wishlist for 2021, said a study by Australian-owned travel platform Vacaay.

The findings were based on users’ planned itineraries on Vacaay’s platform. Among their eyed destinations is also Whitsundays Islands in Queensland landing on the third spot. Canterbury region in New Zealand and North Australia’s Arnhem Land were also on travelers’ radar, entering the list as the fourth and fifth most favored destination respectively.

The study has also identified travel practices which are expected to be key trends by next year such as slow travel, with travelers’ itinerary having fewer destinations but with longer stay. Travelers are also forecast to indulge in luxurious travel experiences, with travelers having reserved a disposable income amid the lockdown.

Vacaay CEO Pete McKeon said, “In 2020 the world became a lot smaller. For some of us, the dream of travel stopped five kilometers from the front door, while others had an entire state as their playground. But no matter the restrictions, Australians have proven to be tenacious travelers. We’re greedily exploring our own backyard, sometimes literally, and we’re keeping the dream of travel well and truly alive for 2021,”

Hong Kong – Travel and leisure booking platform Klook officially unveils the newest feature on its app, an interactive livestream called Klook Live!.

While users on Klook have only been enticed of new food and travel offerings via images and text on the app, users will now be able to view up-close the offerings through interactive and instant video content on Klook Live!. 

The feature has been formally launched in August in five APAC markets Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines.

During this period, Klook released a series of hyper-localized content on Klook Live!, featuring offerings from food and dining to hotel staycation packages, where the five markets have reported a 4 times average uplift in conversion rates. This is compared to in-app conversion rates on an average day.

According to the brand’s data, in Thailand, a staycation surprise deal has been sold out in just eight minutes, while in Singapore, two out of three staycation bookings made within 24 hours were direct conversions as a result of the livestream. Both countries also experienced about a two times uplift in revenue compared to an average day. 

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, a number of food and dining exclusive deals were snapped up in less than five minutes. 

With the new feature, the brand aims to introduce traveltainment, to which it refers to as a new form of immersive content that elevates users’ ways of discovering and booking both local and overseas hospitality offerings.

“The pandemic has made users even more critical and discerning when making a purchase. With Klook Live!, we enable users to gain a more authentic look at our offerings, as well as directly ask questions in real-time before buying,” said Marcus Yong, vice president of APAC marketing. 

“Our early success demonstrates that users are increasingly demanding a new way to discover things-to-do, starting from their backyard. It also signals that users prefer a more entertaining, social, and personalized customer experience,” added Yong. 

During the livestream on Klook Live!, customers can interact directly with merchants, express their feelings through emoji and polls, redeem exclusive promo codes and check-out; all while watching a live episode.

According to the company, Klook Live! is designed to cater to the region’s growing demand for online video content on mobile devices. It refers to a study by digital research brand eMarketer, that over 1.2 billion Asia-Pacific users consume video content on their mobile devices in 2019, and that this is expected to increase by over 75% to 1.6 billion by 2023. 

The company also looks to leverage the forecast that video content is expected to be a norm post-pandemic as people consume more video content. According to a study by market research firm Globalwebindex, Gen Z respondents said that they expect their increased levels of consumption of social media, videos, and streaming services to continue even after the outbreak. 

On the merchant side, Klook is confident that the new feature will aid vendors in targeting their audience reach which has proven trickier amid the pandemic. 

“With international travel restrictions in place, merchants require creative platforms to showcase their offerings to local audiences and encourage them to support local businesses that depend on tourism. With Klook Live!, merchants of all sizes can bridge that gap and build stronger connections with local users, boosting brand awareness and sales,” the company said in a press statement.

In the coming weeks, Klook Live! will be rolling out more content and products, including episodic programs to unveil a new local carnival in Taiwan and indoor recreational parks in Malaysia among others

Klook Live! can be accessed by downloading the Klook app on Google Play or the App Store. 

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and travel booking platform Klook have teamed up to launch a S$2 million domestic marketing partnership to drive the rediscovery of Singapore’s tourism and lifestyle offerings. The partnership is under the SingapoRediscovers campaign, and is inked to last seven months-long starting this September.

SingapoRediscovers is a recently launched campaign, spearheaded by agencies Enterprise Singapore (ESG), Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to support the local lifestyle and tourism business in Singapore and encourage locals to explore different sides of the country. A total of S$45 million has been set aside for the campaign and its supporting marketing initiatives. 

The partnership with Klook will have three focus areas: curated promotions for products and experiences, content development, and digital marketing to boost spend.

Under the partnership, businesses – ranging from hotels and attractions to tour operators and dining establishments – will be encouraged to develop new products and experiences. The aim is to inspire locals and encourage them to explore precincts such as Orchard Road, Chinatown, Civic District, and Katong-Joo Chiat. 

These new products and experiences will also be curated into special bundles with attractive offers to appeal to different interest groups such as foodies, outdoor enthusiasts, and value seekers.  

An example would be pairing a stay at Mandarin Orchard Singapore with an Art Jam session in Orchard Road, or complementing a stay at Hotel Mono in Chinatown with a journey on Trishaw Uncle Guided Tours.

To encourage further exploration around the country, STB and Klook will collaborate on digital marketing efforts, where the parties look to create authentic stories through Klook’s pool of key content partners and opinion leaders. Digital content such as video reviews and livestreams will cast a spotlight on hidden gems and value-for-money promotions, as well as raise the profile of various home-grown businesses around Singapore.

Both parties will also co-invest in other digital marketing initiatives, such as search engine marketing, display, and social media advertising, to widen the reach and searchability of the various promotions and offerings under the campaign.

STB Assistant Chief Executive for Marketing Lynette Pang commented, “Through SingapoRediscovers, we encourage locals to explore Singapore, experience our vibrant tourism and lifestyle offerings, and support home-grown businesses. Klook shares the same aim. We look forward to leveraging their digital marketing capabilities and extensive network of partners to amplify our efforts, as well as encouraging their users to support curated local experiences, quality promotions, and content in the coming months.”

Meanwhile, Marcus Yong, vice president of marketing in Klook for APAC said, “Klook is excited to partner with STB and to be part of SingapoRediscovers. Our mission has always been to empower consumers to experience the best of a destination and through this partnership, we hope to bring back a sense of joy and adventure as locals explore their own backyard.”