The Uzakrota Global Summit will take place online on 01-03 December this year due to the pandemic. Listed as one of the “World’s Top 2018 Most Influential Tourism Events” by Netherlands-based Bidroom in 10, selected as one of the “World’s Top 2019 Events” by Japan-based HIS Travel in 5, and this year, it was named “World’s Top 10 Events” by South African Hepstar. The Uzakrota Global Summit, selected as one of the “Tourism Event”, will take place online on 01-03 December this year due to the pandemic.

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Asia’s leading travel trade show, ITB Asia 2017 has completed its milestone anniversary event with record-breaking numbers. The tenth edition of ITB Asia came to a close today at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

Over three days, the event hosted about 940 exhibitors from 113 countries, an 11% increase over the previous year. ITB Asia 2017 also welcomed its strongest ever buyer participation across the Corporate, MICE and Leisure sectors. Since 2014, ITB Asia has experienced a 1:1 ratio for exhibitors and buyers. This year, there were over 22,000 business appointments recorded during the show.

Ribbon Cutting & VIP Guided Tour

Unveiling its largest exhibitors showcase yet, ITB Asia 2017 reported a spectacular 77% growth from its inaugural edition, featuring new exhibitors such as the Rwanda Development Board, Tourism Tunisia, Promote Iceland, Tourism & Foreign Affairs Department of Almaty City, Republic of Kazakhstan, Jeju Convention and Vistor Bureau, amongst others. Exhibitors also invested more in the quality of their booths, with Greece, Japan, Russia and Korea putting up impressive and engaging experiences.

This year’s conference programme looked at the role of technology, setting the tone for the changes that the industry is likely to see in the next ten years. Speakers from big names IBM Asia Pacific and Google delivered insights on the potential of Artificial Intelligence, Ctrip presented its global strategy, while fast-growing start-ups Hiverlab, Zebra Design and Savioke shared on the exciting realities and opportunities for augmented reality and virtual reality in hospitality and tourism.

“In view of ten years of ITB Asia, we’ve taken every effort to celebrate the past as well as to provide attendees with a useful view to the future. While we are very pleased with our achievements in terms of the quality and numbers, what brings us most satisfaction is bringing together all the different stakeholders across the industry to network and inspire each other. The relationships built and strengthened will continue to boost our efforts in making ITB Asia the region’s go-to event and a hub for unforgettable content and enriching experiences for many years to come”, said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia.

ITB Asia will continue to be held in Singapore, following the past ten years of consistent support from the Singapore Tourism Board and the Singapore Exhibition Convention Bureau. Following this year’s successful show, ITB Asia has received the highest exhibitor rebookings for ITB Asia 2018. As early as now, the surge in interest for next year’s show has been seen from destinations such as Greece, Middle East, Africa, Spain and the Scandinavian region as well as continued strong support from Asian markets such as Thailand and the Philippines. Melia Hotels International and Global DMC Network by the JTB Group have also confirmed their stand bookings for the 2018 show.

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By now you all would have read about the horrific experience of passengers, AirAsia flight QZ535 from Perth to Bali had to go through. The airline is facing the wrath of passengers on-board who complained about the wild and shocking behavior of staff.

Social media is once again denting the image of the airline in a big way with lot of news portals as well aviation experts sharing their experiences.

An aviation expert says AirAsia should not be allowed to fly in and out of Australia until it meets safety standards. @DamoNews #9News pic.twitter.com/q7MTxylzRt

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) October 16, 2017

In a series of Tweets, another twitter user Captain Rahmat has posted the entire sequence from the beginning. Clearly the larger that has been highlighted is staff training.

Airlines need to train cabin crew to speak with clarity, pronounce each syllable. Many just waffle through fake accents as long as an announcement is made #QZ535

1) Okay…now onto #QZ535 because some people asked me on WhatsApp about the incident and what do I think

— CaptRahmat (@CaptRahmat) October 16, 2017

While the issue was attributed to cabin pressure, the volume of tweets with the hashtag #QZ535 have skyrocketed.

Indonesia Air Asia #QZ535 (A320 PK-AXD) Perth-Bali ret. to Perth Sunday 0435UTC/1235AWST w/ a pressurization issue: https://t.co/PKyxsmmz55 pic.twitter.com/hQQsYPmhiy

— Airport Webcams (@AirportWebcams) October 15, 2017

This brings us to the crux of the discussion, how should an airline react to criticism on Social Media? Is an offline apology enough or does the apply on Social Media.

The post Lessons in Online Crisis Management for Air Asia appeared first on TravHQ.

Virtual Reality has arrived in a big big way. Thanks to multiple cost-effective cameras, fans all over the world have now started creating VR videos of destinations. VeeR is a professional VR editing tool as well as a community for Virtual Reality Tools.

1. What does VeeR stand for?
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, “Veer” means to change direction or course. We took the name “VeeR” because first, people would know we are a VR-related product immediately; Second, when people watch VR content, they turn from side to side, changing directions (Veering). So we think VeeR is the most explicit name.

2. How did you come up with this idea?
VeeR believes that VR content shooting and sharing will be widely popularized and VeeR was born for the purpose of spreading VR to all four corners of the world.

3. Where is your team based and what’s the background of co-founder?
Headquartered in Beijing, VeeR was founded by three visionaries graduated from Stanford and UC Berkeley with years of experience in Silicon Valley. Equipped with broad industrial experience and forward-looking principles, they focus on building the best ecosystem for VR video uploading and sharing.

4. How does VeeR work？
The VeeR VR app is available on iOS app store, Android, and all major VR platforms such as HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream, etc. To watch content on VeeR VR is very easy, just download the app to your mobile device, and you can enjoy VR content from all over the world. Users can also use VR cardboards to have a more immersive experience.

5. Can you share with us the kind of videos that are being published on the VeeR platform?
We have a wide variety of creators: professional creators like Warner Brothers, Associated Press, World Bank, and every-day 360 camera users covering all types of professions such as NASA astronaut, tattoo shop owner, lawyer, and chemistry professor etc. The VR content they create touches all genres and topics, from scuba diving to bungee jumping; from Harvard CS class to VR movie trailers. Those unique content would let people experience something they never had before.

6. What sort of traction you have received for the product in-terms of user response and app downloads?
Ten months into VeeR VR’s release, we have accumulated nearly 10 million downloads in 180 countries and thousands of individual/studio creators. VeeR VR has been extensively acclaimed since its launch, and we are also the only VR content platform from China that has been featured by iOS App Store, Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and HTC Vive.

7. What is the next milestone for the product?
VeeR is always developing new features to provide the best user experience. Besides VeeR VR, we just released the beta version of VeeR Editor. VeeR Editor is the most easy-to-use and fun 360 video editor for smartphones. With it you can directly edit videos filmed with your 360 cameras. You can choose from our wide selection of features such as adding stickers, texts, Insta-ready filters and backtrack from our music database, to create 360 videos. We think that giving the right tool, everyone can create great VR content, and VeeR Editor is the one.

Also read: How Insta360 cameras are changing the game of VR in travel industry

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During last week’s MKTE 2017 organized at KICC from 03-05 October 2017 in Nairobi KTB (Kenya Tourism Board) showcased its new innovative approach to digital marketing with a strong focus on creating a community within the destination for the sharing of content from the trade and their clients. Kenya Tourism Board is making a very significant shift focus on Digital. In the coming time-period, digital will be looked as a key driver of messaging for promoting Kenya as a destination.

Digital Strategy:

One of the key agendas discussed was employing head of digital to deliver the strategy. In other-words, KTB will engage a digital consultant to formulate the strategy. The purpose of the hiring is to create high profile digital presence for Kenya and create engagement that can be referred to trade as business. Increasingly use technology to create authentic experience to our markets.

Technology
To identify the potential high value visitors and connect them via engaging content via the right channels. Use tech to create platforms for genuine realtime human engagement. To use data to make informed decisions about marketing.

Data Driven Strategy
> Making decisions based on Hard Data
> Only measurable can be managed
> Adapting destination strategy based on traveller behavior

Looking to the future
> Global tourism is being driven by independent travellers
> Group and most tourism models are eroding
> Value or volume must be part of equation
> From tourist to travellers, attractions to experiences

Segmenting audiences
> Use social media to directly target potential visitors
> Target communities over countries

What do Google trends indicate? 
The statistics state that 82% of travellers are undecided on a destinations/brands. During the session Google’s industry head for travel in Kenya also shared that currently the search-engine giant accounts for 10 million searches for Kenya globally every year. While the keywords are a mix of multiple queries including political, state of safety as of now 50% of searches are related with T&T (Travel and Tourism). The number 1 search query is about what to do in Kenya.

TripAdvisor has been working with KTB for about 8-9 months on how to change perception of Kenya as a destination. The focus has to be pushing the number of people who’re looking at Africa. TripAdvisor has been discreetly stating that Kenya is a safe and secure destination which includes TripAdvisor microsite for Kenya.

Going forward, KTB expects to hire more people in the digital division including hiring a community manager.

The post Decoding Kenya Tourism Board’s Digital Strategy: Snippets from MKTE 2017 appeared first on TravHQ.

Sean Menke, president and CEO of global travel technology leader Sabre Corporation (NASDAQ: SABR), told senior executives gathered at an industry conference in Dallas that the continued growth of low cost carriers (LCCs) and downward pressure on airline pricing are driving factors of the new technology landscape. Menke emphasized that Sabre is committed to leading on the development of next generation distribution and retailing solutions that leverage the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) New Distribution Capability (NDC) in ways that will benefit airlines, travel retailers and consumers.

Menke said that the development of NDC standards was just the first step in a series of changes that will impact the way airlines market their services and how travel agencies retail those services to consumers. But there are a host of other implications, including airline revenue management, ticketing fulfilment and servicing and other back-office functions that travel agencies provide in support of airlines – most especially travel management companies that support business travellers. “Sabre has a history of bringing together the interests of travel suppliers and travel retailers and finding ways for technology to move the industry forward. The conversations we have today with airlines and agencies are very different from our discussions even a few years ago. The forward-thinking people are focused on driving value creation for airlines and agencies alike. That’s how we will make NDC work. Over the coming months, we’ll be talking more about how we will bring this to market, but we have no intention of giving up the technology leadership role we have played historically,” said Menke.

Menke observed that while there is a perception of airline industry consolidation steering airline financial results, “the real impact on airline economics has been the explosive growth of low cost carriers, impressively moving beyond the leisure travel market and successfully driving pricing and competition across both the business and leisure travel segments,” said Menke. “These factors – which we see at various levels in all regions of the globe – require traditional carriers to differentiate their offerings and find new ways to drive revenue growth while still competing for the price-conscious traveller.”

Menke spoke at The Beat Live, an annual gathering of travel industry executives who represent airlines, hotels and travel management companies. He reiterated Sabre’s commitment to NDC standards, saying that the company is already Level 1 compliant with a roadmap to become Level 2 and Level 3 compliant in 2018.

“NDC started the public conversation about building out a new level of technology standards that enable airlines to offer more customized products and services, indicative of the branded fares, ancillary services and digital retailing trends that characterize air travel today,” said Menke. “We are fully committed not only to incorporating NDC standards, but giving them broader application so that airlines, agencies and consumers will get the full benefit of what NDC intends to accomplish.”

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Damian Cook is the CEO of a company called E-Tourism Frontiers and has vast experience of working with Kenya Tourism board as well as over 30 different destinations in and across Africa, Middle-East and South East Asia. During his session at MKTE 2017 on Kenya Tourism in the digital market place, he talked about travel-trade industry in Kenya can leverage digital platforms.

Digital works effectively when it is used just not just by the government by the travel-trade on effectively maintaining relationships with their customers. Damian is advising KTB on a new digital strategy for promoting the destination.

Evolution of Digital in Travel

• Phase 1 – High street and Brochure driven shopping (by Suppliers and Travel agents)
• Phase 2 – The Rise of Online Bookings (OTAs and Airlines)
• Phase 3 – Direct Inbound (Search + Suppliers)
• Phase 4 – User Driven Business (Social Media + Customers)

Damian Cook, E-Tourism Frontiers

Consumer Cycle

Experience of travellers in-terms of UGC (user generated content) is now a critical part of the marketing process.

Travel is online

The core essence of online is Travel.

• 63% of all travel is now research, booked bought and sold online
• 50% of online travel sales involved more than one device
• 300 + reviews per minute posted on TripAdvisor

TravHQ Note: As a travel-trade industry professional, you need to identify and look at Google reviews for a hotel and destinations.

Global Market Challenges

• Tour Operator driven model is diminishing
• KPMG lists 49% of Pos as in decline and 24 major POs bankrupted in 2011-15 including Thomas Cook
• European Charter Market drops to 2%
• Online regarded as motivating factor

Key attributes of Millenial Travellers

• Are you ready for them?
• Avoid anything referring to ‘tourists’ and destinations regarding as ‘attractions’
• Are traveller seeking experiences and those words matter
• May not want to stay in hotels
• May never have children

Selfie culture is here to stay even though selfies kill more people than wild animals

Understanding selfie psychology

• Look where I am (Destination)
• Look who I am with (Demographics)
• Look what I am doing (Interest)

It’s a gradual shift from hiring marketing companies to whom you used to pay for the brochure photographs etc. Now hotels have got customers who are using their smartphones to create visual content for them and put them on social media. The more photogenic your food is, more likely people are to create photos.

Don’t tell them about your product … show them your product

TravHQ note: Damian’s workshop is in-line with the series of workshop conducted by TravHQ team for destinations across India. We’ve been strongly advocating the role of digital across state-tourism boards in India and across SEA destinations.

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We spoke to Larry Chua, who is the co-founder at Caption Hospitality an Indonesian travel startup providing easy to use solutions (such as Point of Sales, Central Reservation System) for hotels.

On growth in the Indonesian Travel Industry
Firstly travel scene is a big word, a better way to address this is breaking down into sub sectors of travel. In a whole the travel industry is growing within Indonesia.

Government initiatives: The ministry of tourism has high targets to attract 20 million inbound travelers into indonesia. One initiatives is ITX , a collaboration project with Telkom Indonesia which dominates infrastructural of the nation. ITX was a very big ambition with the objective of trying to digitalise the travel industry by providing an Eco System.

Distribution

With recent events of investment and acquisition news, I feel that the Online Travel Agent space is almost reaching its peak in Indonesia. Clear dominant players will remain and the rest will eventually fall out of the space. However, I will not be surprised to see new players expanding their vertical into the travel distribution.

E-commerce companies such as Bukalapak and Tokopedia will start moving into this space and also will not be surprise that another unicorn such as Gojek will start to play within this space. These are very gradual moves when your company controls huge amount of customer database. The next question is what can i sell these customers which yields the most margins and the highest ticket item. Lastly, travel products does not require actual storage of inventories.

Larry Chua, Co-Founder Caption Hospitality

On travel startups
Indonesian travel startups – The strongest contested space within indonesia is the “Virtual Hotel Operator” space, with companies such as Nidarooms, Zenrooms, Reddoors, Zuzuhotels, Tinggal, Airyrooms. Questions lies within the true value of such model as we have witness similar trends and sagas with OYO in India. Will this model prove to be successful and sustainable is a question mark?

For other travel startups to survive, they have to look deeper within travel industry or find a huge niche market. There are many areas that have yet to be disrupted or evolved such as Technology solutions support travel industry, Corporate travel industry, MICE industry etc.

Current Challenges

Geographical – Different cities are at different level of credit card penetration, consumer spending and understanding of technology. Indonesia has many islands which makes conquering the whole market a challenge if without networks within that region.

Educating the market – Most suppliers of travel business are still very much traditional and don’t feel a need to evolve with technology.Too few trying other areas of travel – Very common suspects of ideas or business. Some will still try to do OTA model, Trip planning, Airbnb similar. Few look deeper at problems within the industry.Investors knowledge within the other sectors of travel apart from distribution.

The post Insights on Indonesian Travel-Tech Industry, Larry Chua Co-Founder Caption Hospitality appeared first on TravHQ.

While going through our twitter feed in the morning, we spotted this Tweet by Sharell Cook, a Mumbai based travel content specialist who writes for Tripsavvy. Her tweet clearly states copyright violation of her image by a twitter handle called @bengaltourism. The account has garnered over 25,000 followers on Twitter.

While the twitter handle looks like a state tourism board account it actually belongs to a state tour agency. The company in question had used one of her images, without her permission on the cover page of their Facebook account. Moreover, the image used represents Odisha instead of Bengal.

When we researched further, we found out that the Twitter bio of the Tour agency is extremely misleading. The company tricks you into believing that it is the official Twitter account of Department of Tourism, West Bengal.

When Sharell did question them about image theft, the operator’s response was quite ridiculous and hilarious.

The audacity with which the company argued with Sharell and other twitter users shows absolute lack of knowledge with respect to social-media image copyright laws in India.

This is just one of the many incidents that has gone viral due to the influence of Sharell Cook on Twitter. The truth is many tour operators are very ignorant with social media guidelines for content and image usage.

At TravHQ, we’ve been conducting focused training programs from independent travel & tour operators on digital marketing usage as well as content/image copyrights. The ecosystem requires grass-root skill development workshops on digital strategy for these travel agents which will inturn have a direct impact on India’s travel-industry.

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We spoke to sunQ PARK, who is the CEO at Bideomap.com, a 360 virtual trip community. Bideomap is a new kind of VR video SNS that people can share 360° travel videos with others (www.bideomap.com).

Since people want to save their journey, we picked this idea(360degrees video pin on the map) for people’s . Nowadays, people are not only using a camera and smartphone to take a picture, but also 360 degrees cameras like Theta360, Gear360, LG360 more and more recently. Therefore, people can share their trip videos and remind their memories through our service.

About launch

We started designing and planning the business on October 2015. The website was launched on September 29, 2016. Therefore is that we are about to start it.

About competition

There does not exist for virtual trip experience sharing a 360 degrees video platform, but 360citines.net or Google Earth, street view  is one of our competitors.

Revenue model

Sponsors(Restarant +Hotel) billing $ 10 per year  when uploading 360 videos ad on the map.

Virtual tours are nothing new to the travel market, but the utilization of immersive video instead of still imagery to create a innovative and engaging marketing campaign is a new and exciting concept. 360 video maps provide an invaluable amount of visual understanding, along with detailed information of each individual experience, helping travers in choosing their desired destination.

• Give the destination traveler an opportunity to visit the sights from the comfort of their own home.
• Display multi listing search results of guests’ criteria accompanied by corresponding 360° spherical video. Streamline the booking and reservation process for guests and corporate clients.
• As VR based tourism and travel markets grow, the demand for more information about these destinations will continue to grow as well. It is widely known among marketing agencies that the use of video and rich media has a huge impact on how consumers choose their destination. Statistics show that “look-to-book” ratios increase with the use of these mediums. There is no other industry better set to take advantage of remote familiarization than travel and tourism.

We have three patents. One of them is METHOD FOR HYBRID-BASED VIDEO CLUSTERING AND SERVER IMPLEMENTING THE SAME. We obtained this patent, and others are applied for. DataKing.Inc Korean VR Industry Association official member

http://kvra.kr/

About team profile

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