Category: Latest Travel News

Berlin, Germany, March 17, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Weathering many crises over the decades, travel has always proved resilient, and the industry now has the opportunity to come out of the COVID-19 crisis stronger. Technology will play a major role in facilitating recovery, ushering in a new era of personalised travel that will present more opportunities for businesses and a better experience for travellers. In a conversation with Lea Jordan at ITB Berlin, Sabre CEO Sean Menke outlined how he set up Sabre to enable change beyond the pandemic.

2020 was game-changing – it presented the greatest challenge ever faced in the travel industry, with global air and hotel bookings down more than in any previous year. As a leading technology provider to the global travel industry, Sabre has had a front row seat, with insight into global trends and data as events unfolded. 

As the impact of the COVID-19 virus spread, Sabre took quick and decisive actions to improve its resilience, taking measures such as reducing fixed costs, raising additional liquidity, and introducing a flexible “work from anywhere” program. These actions allowed the team to focus on the day-to-day business in 2021 and 2022.

“We also had to focus on our customers – many of them around the world were facing the headwinds that we were dealing with and we needed to help them work through what was taking place,” said Menke. “While we are still managing through the crisis, there is a group of us at Sabre that is very focused on our evolution beyond COVID-19. We believe that the initiatives we have been able to set up through 2020 and are continuing to work on now will enable us to reshape travel in the years and decades to come.”

Despite the headwinds of 2020, Sabre recorded some major achievements. The Company advanced its technology transformation and modernization which included the continuing migration of its technology to Google Cloud. On the hospitality IT side, the Company signed key commercial wins and renewals in 2020 with major players like All-Inclusive by Marriott and Louvre Hotels. Sabre also extended distribution agreements with some of its largest airline customers, among them Southwest Airlines and Lufthansa Group.

The evolution of consumer demands 

We are operating in a highly digitalized world and that has only accelerated with the events that unfolded over the last year. Consumer expectations are continuing to evolve based on the ever-changing situation and the demand for tools and capabilities in areas such as self-service has grown significantly. 

The demand for personalization also continues to increase. Consumers expect that retailers personalize offerings around them as individuals. They demand choice when developing their journey and this greatly influences the way in which they shop and compare offer. Sabre wants to enable intelligent retailing by providing the technology that allows its customers to create unique, relevant and appealing offers and distribute them through multiple channels.  

Menke highlighted that whilst revenue generation and cost efficiency remain important to customers, they are also focused on the brand promise that they put out in creating and delivering those unique offers. Providing guests with a transparent, trustworthy, seamless, and enjoyable experience is key.

Key focus areas to help the industry to overcome the crisis

Early last year Sabre introduced a set of strategic initiatives to set the Company up for success. Despite the dramatically different market environment, these priorities haven’t changed. They are still essential for allowing Sabre to shape how people experience travel in the future and help the industry overcome the crisis.

• The first initiative is around the consumer demand for a personalized experience, focusing on IT capabilities, processes and intelligence to enable intelligent retailing.

A key element of this is Sabre’s long-term partnership with Google. The first result of this collaboration was Sabre Travel AI, which leverages AI and machine learning tools to analyze and predict consumer behaviors. By delivering the right offer, at the right time across all relevant channels, customers are positioned to deliver tailored personalization to travelers that should drive higher conversion rates and build traveler loyalty.

The first solution powered by this capability is the Smart Retail Engine: employing a data-driven, AI-supported test-and-learn approach, it allows Sabre’s customers to deliver personalized, dynamically priced offers to their customers.

• The second initiative concerns the future of distribution. Sabre wants to enable airlines to distribute personalized offers through its GDS marketplace and through their direct channels. The Company is actively engaged with leading airlines to develop sustainable models that work for airlines, agencies, Sabre, and ultimately, the traveler. Forward-thinking agreements with Southwest or Lufthansa Group are an example of this approach.
• With the third initiative Sabre focuses on the low-cost carrier market – working to create more ways for LCCs to retail and distribute content. With their relatively lean cost structure and their reliance on domestic and intra-regional routes, LCCs are recovering faster from the crisis, making this initiative especially important.
• With the fourth priority Sabre wants to strengthen its hospitality IT solutions portfolio by growing our CRS business and adding full-service capabilities to our property management system.
• Finally, Sabre is continuing its tech transformation. Here again the partnership with Google is very important.

“Long term we believe that travel will continue to be a growth industry,” concluded Menke. “Over the last 50 years there have only been six calendar years in which global passenger volume declined, and the maximum decline was less than two percent – even factoring in previous obstacles to growth like the 9/11 attacks, SARS or the 2008 financial collapse. “

 “While no one can predict exactly what future travel will look like, especially on the other side of this pandemic, I am certain that travel will rebound. We are committed to our vision to create a new market for personalized travel by 2025 and intend to deliver on that vision by continuing to focus on our own tech transformation and on developing and delivering flexible, differentiated products that help our customers drive revenue and yield.”

Berlin, Germany, March 16, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has returned to ITB Berlin to lead the conversation on the current challenges facing the sector, and the opportunities to be seized in the future.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

As the United Nations specialized agency leads the restart of global tourism following the unprecedented crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, three virtual events brought together voices from across the sector at the leading trade fair. Against a backdrop of ongoing uncertainty, UNWTO outlined a positive narrative for tourism, stressing its historic ability to lead from the front and adapt to new challenges.

Less Waste, More Opportunity

On the opening day of ITB Berlin Now, UNWTO ensured sustainability was high on the agenda, leading efforts to ensure the sector lives up to its responsibilities for planet as well as people. “Eliminate. Innovate. Circulate: Strategies from the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative”, hosted jointly by UNWTO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, featured key insights from both public and private sectors. The event showcased how addressing plastic waste and pollution within tourism can support the sustainable recovery of the sector in the aftermath of the pandemic, noting both the progress that has been made and the challenges still to face.

Alongside UNWTO’s commitment to greater sustainability, a commitment to gender equality is a key priority. On the second day of ITB Berlin, and against the backdrop of Women’s History Month, UNWTO hosted a special panel on “Gamechangers” and female entrepreneurs within tourism. The event featured presentations by the five female winners of the UNWTO SDGs Startup Competition, outlining how their enterprises can contribute to addressing key issues such as gender equality, poverty alleviation and providing decent work for all.

Communications for Tourism’s Recovery

Also at ITB Berlin, UNWTO looked ahead to tourism’s restart, bringing together leading voices from across the media to explore the need for a new narrative to fit the rethink and restart of tourism with sustainability as the driving goal. The “Communications for Recovery” event featured expert participants from Google Arts & Culture, the BBC, Euronews and Voyages Afrique, alongside high-level private sector participants from Expedia and Stark Communications. The panel identified how the pandemic has changed the way the media present tourism and promote destinations, with members universally expressing their optimism in tourism not only returning to growth but also both tourists themselves as well as stakeholders across the sector taking a greater interest in the impact of tourism on communities and people and planet.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

Alongside hosting events, UNWTO also contributed expert insights to a discussion on Tourism for Sustainable Development. The event was organized by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Corporation for International Development (GIZ).

Geneva, Switzerland, March 16, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Just over one year since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, a new World Economic Forum/Ipsos survey found notable increases in COVID-19 vaccination intent with a majority wanting to be vaccinated as soon as possible.

Over 13,500 adults under the age of 75 participated in the survey between 25-28 February 2021, on Ipsos’ Global Advisor online platform. The previous study was conducted between 17-20 December 2020.

“The trends are good, but new variants are more contagious and with vaccination intention rates as they are currently reflected in the study, we would not reach herd immunity,” said Arnaud Bernaert, Head of Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum.

“Experts suggest between 70% and 85% of a population should be vaccinated in order for herd immunity to be achieved,” he continued. “Communication and education efforts are more critical than ever. We are on track, but should not relax our efforts.”

Adults who strongly or somewhat agree they would get a vaccine against COVID-19 make up a majority in all but one of the 15 countries surveyed.

Confidence by country:

• Very high in Brazil (89%), Italy (85%), China (82%), Spain (82%), Mexico (80%), and South Korea (80%);
• Fairly high in Canada (79%), Australia (78%), Japan (74%), and Germany (74%);
• In the middle for the United States (65%), South Africa (65%), and France (59%); and,
• Low in Russia (42%).

Breaking down the data further, the percentage of those who answered “strongly agree” has increased in every one of the 15 countries since a similar survey was conducted in December.

Since then, within this “strongly agree” category, eight of the 15 countries saw an uptick in vaccine intent of more than 20 percentage points:

• Italy up 36 percentage points to 62% who strongly agree
• Spain up 31 points to 57%
• U.K. up 24 to 70%
• Brazil up 24 to 76%
• France up 23 to 35%
• Mexico up 22 to 64%
• Canada up 21 to 60%
• Germany 21 to 51%

The countries showing the smallest gains are Russia (+2 to 16%) and the United States (+3 to 41%).

How soon would you be vaccinated?

In 11 of the 15 countries surveyed, most plan to get the vaccine immediately or within one month once it is available to them:

• Over 80% in Brazil and the U.K (both 85%);
• Over 70% in Mexico (78%), Spain (73%), Germany, and Italy (72%);
• Over 60% in Canada (69%), France (67%), the U.S. (67%), and South Africa (64%);
• Over 50% in Australia (58%); but
• Fewer than half in Japan (49%), China (43%), Russia (35%), and South Korea (31%)

About the Study

The survey was conducted by Ipsos on its Global Advisor online platform, February 25-28, 2021, among adults 18-74 years of age in Canada, South Africa, and the United States, and 16-74 in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

This document includes comparisons with data from a similar survey conducted on the Ipsos Global Advisor platform, December 17-20, 2020, and July 24-August 7, 2020.

Where results do not sum to 100 or the ‘difference’ appears to be +/-1 more/less than the actual, this may be due to rounding, multiple responses or the exclusion of don’t knows or not stated responses.

Athens, Greece, March 15, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC said: “The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its Members praise the Greek government for its tremendous efforts and strategic steps taken to restart international travel from 14 May.

“This clear roadmap to recovery could reopen the door to a bumper summer of travel for sun-starved holidaymakers looking to get away to Greece and provide a significant boost to the country’s economy.

“It also lays out the pathway which other countries could follow, in a bid to kickstart safe travel and help revive their own stricken economies.

“The Greek government’s strategy and measures revealed are broadly in line with WTTC advice and we are pleased it will soon be welcoming travellers with proof of vaccination, a negative test or a positive antibody test, with only positive cases required to quarantine.

“These entry requirements along with random rapid tests on arrival, enhanced health and hygiene measures and mandatory mask wearing throughout the travel journey and in public spaces will provide the reassurance consumers need to book their trips.

“Greece is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for travellers and as such, relies heavily upon international travel, with Germany and the UK as its most important source markets.

“In 2019, it’s Travel & Tourism sector contributed 20.8% to the nation’s overall GDP (€39.1BN) and supported more than one fifth of all jobs – which shows just how important Travel & Tourism will be to powering its economy.

“We strongly believe the Greek roadmap shows the practical way forward for other countries to encourage the return of safe travels, as vaccine rollouts gain momentum to return the world’s mobility to get the globe moving again.”

Koh Samui, Thailand, March 15, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa has announced well known hotelier, Bruce Ryde as its new General Manager and Brand Strategist. Ryde has a long hotel history both operating hotels and leading global brands in Asia Pacific. The native Australian had most recently been managing the luxury brand strategy for Marriott Internationals brands amongst them The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, The Luxury Collection and W Hotels as Vice President in the Asia Pacific. Prior to that Bruce held the same position with IHG, overseeing the InterContinental brand as well as the launch of the Hotel Indigo and Kimpton brands in Asia Pacific.

Despite global lockdowns Kamalaya has remained open fully operational and has in fact continued to win new customers with its legendary luxury holistic wellness experience. Bruce is excited about the future for authentic wellness brands and is delighted to advance Kamalaya as one of the world’s leading holistic wellness brands.

“After working for many years for the biggest names in the hospitality industry I am looking forward to working with this truly unique and outstanding wellness retreat and brand, which in 16 years has become a synonym for wellbeing and transformation. Kamalaya’s stated aim of helping people to become the best version of themselves is a powerful platform as we negotiate a return to global travel and together with the founders John and Karina Stewart I am happy to lead the next chapter of this amazing story. We have incredible plans, including expanding our diverse range of treatments even more on an innovative online platform, Kamalaya Connect and a retail arm, Kamalaya Essentials.”

When he is not working in his dual role as General Manager and Brand Strategist, Bruce enjoys early morning runs along the hidden trails surrounding Kamalaya and finishes his day with 60 laps at the 25 m pool on top of the hill. ‘The lush nature, the everchanging views over the Gulf of Thailand and the warmth and kindness of our Kamalaya hosts inspire and wow me every day.’

Kamalaya Koh Samui is a multi-award-winning Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa resort ideally located amid a tropical landscape on the southern coastline of Koh Samui, Thailand. Since opening in November 2005, Kamalaya has been offering a holistic wellness experience that integrates healing therapies from East and West, a breathtakingly beautiful natural environment, inspired healthy cuisine and customised wellness programs and retreats.

Kamalaya’s essence is expressed in its name, ‘Lotus (kamal) Realm (alaya)’, an ancient symbol for the growth and unfolding of the human spirit.

About Kamalaya Koh Samui
Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa is a multi-award-winning wellness sanctuary located on the southern coast of Koh Samui, Thailand. Founded by John and Karina Stewart in 2005, Kamalaya offers a synergistic wellness experience that helps people reconnect to life’s potential and achieve optimal wellbeing. It integrates healing therapies from East and West, a beautiful natural environment, inspired healthy gourmet cuisine and a variety of results-oriented wellness programs ranging from Detoxification to Stress & Burnout, as well as Healthy Lifestyle, Yoga Synergy and Emotional Balance. Kamalaya’s latest wellness program ‘Beauty & Glow’ was launched in November 2020. It is dedicated to give every skin a radiant glow of vitality and support true beauty from the inside out.

Madrid, Spain, March 14, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / One in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus has prompted many governments to reverse efforts to ease restrictions on travel, with total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific and Europe.

The UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report provides a comprehensive overview of the regulations in place in 217 destinations worldwide. While previous editions had shown a movement towards easing or lifting restrictions on travel, the latest report shows that the persistent seriousness of the epidemiological situation has caused governments to adopt a more cautious approach.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

As of the beginning of February, 32% of all destinations worldwide (69 in total) are completely closed for international tourism. Of these, around just over half (38 destinations) have been closed for at least 40 weeks. At the same time, 34% of worldwide destinations are now partially closed to international tourists.

Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognise that restrictions are just one part of the solution

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Polilikashvili says: “Travel restrictions have been widely used to restrict the spread of the virus. Now, as we work to restart tourism, we must recognise that restrictions are just one part of the solution. Their use must be based on the latest data and analysis and consistently reviewed so as to allow for the safe and responsible restart of a sector upon which many millions of businesses and jobs depend.”

Regional variations clear

The ninth edition of the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report shows that regional differences with regards to travel restrictions remain. Of the 69 destinations where borders are completely closed to tourists, 30 are in Asia and the Pacific, 15 are in Europe, 11 are in Africa, 10 are in the Americas and three are in the Middle East.

At the same time, the UNWTO research also indicates a trend towards adopting a more nuanced, evidence and risk-based approach to implementing travel restrictions. Growing numbers of destinations worldwide now require international tourists to present a negative PCR or antigen test upon arrival and also provide contact details for tracing purposes. Indeed, 32% of all worldwide destinations now have the presentation of such tests as their main requirement for international arrivals often combined with quarantine, while the same amount have made tests a secondary or tertiary measure.

• Read all the latest UNWTO News and Announcements here.

Top tourism markets remain cautious

As UNWTO leads the restart of tourism, the Travel Restrictions Report also notes how different governments are issuing advice to their own citizens. Analysis of the top ten tourism source markets currently advising against non-essential travel abroad found they generated 44% of all international arrivals in 2018. UNWTO notes that advice issued by governments will play a crucial role in the restart and recovery of tourism in the weeks and months ahead.

Cancun, Mexico, March 13, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, is set to present its new ‘Women Empowerment Initiative’ for travel at its annual Global Summit, which is taking place in April of this year, in Cancun, Mexico.

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

The WTTC ‘Women Empowerment Initiative’ will, through the creation of a Women´s Travel & Tourism Advisory Group and broad consultation across stakeholders, identify key activities and best practices to support women in universities, in SMEs, entrepreneurs, and in the corporate world across, the entire Travel & Tourism sector.

The group will drive awareness of the current challenges and will lead strategies to work towards an increased representation of women in senior leadership positions within the sector.

The global tourism body will launch its Women Empowerment Declaratory in April at its Global Summit in Cancun, at which it hopes its 200 private sector Members will join.

Research from WTTC reports has shown that through supporting and promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, companies can expect to see greater profitability, increased creativity and innovation, and a happier workforce where employees feel free and safe to be who they are. Promoting a diverse workforce is good for business, enables the sector to serve its clients and stakeholders better.

WTTC sees this as an opportunity to ensure a sustainable and inclusive future and believes that if companies make significant investments in building a more inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, they can retain the employees most affected by today’s crises and nurture a culture in which women have equal opportunity to achieve their potential in the long term.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC said: “I’m so excited to share our plans to announce our Women’s Empowerment Initiative at the Global Summit in April. Travel & Tourism is one of the world’s most diverse sectors and is made up of 54% women, and we are excited to be encouraging women’s empowerment throughout the sector, and I’m very proud that at WTTC we have a majority of our leadership positions occupied by women.

“The social impact of Travel & Tourism cannot be understated – I think there is no denying that this sector helps to create empathy. Empathy is important to me because when there is empathy, there is a greater chance for understanding, peace, and tolerance. It is also a sector with purpose and with a positive social impact. It truly has the ability to transform lives and provides a lot of joy regardless of the generation, and we are looking forward to contributing to that positive impact through our initiative.”

Chris Nassetta, WTTC Chairman and Hilton President and CEO said, “Women have made significant contributions in travel and tourism for generations, and our industry has the opportunity and obligation to lead the way in creating a more inclusive, equitable workforce.

“I’m surrounded by talented and remarkable women at home and at work, so I’m thrilled to support WTTC’s Women Empowerment Initiative and the advancement of women leaders in the travel industry.”

Glenda McNeal, President of Strategic Partnerships, American Express said, “When we choose to empower the women in the Travel & Tourism sector, we choose to give them a seat at the table. That seat is a platform for not just the individual, but for the collective voices, insights, experiences, and knowledge we bring to the world as women in this industry.”

• Read all the latest WTTC News and Press Releases here.

Carlos Joaquín González, Governor of Quintana Roo said, “In Quintana Roo, we work together so that tourism benefits everyone, including the empowerment of women.

“In the tourism sector of the Mexican Caribbean, there are greater opportunities for women’s empowerment. Indeed, two of our most important programs; Guest Assist and Guest Locator, are led by women, Directors of Tourist Care and Information Technologies.”

The Global Summit will be the first major conference in the ‘new normal’ of the COVID-19 world and will take place in Cancun, Mexico on 25-27 April. The event will take place in a hybrid format, allowing those unable to travel to benefit from the content virtually.

Lucerne, Switzerland, March 12, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / World Tourism Forum Lucerne (WTFL) has in recent years worked on bringing together talented young founders and investors, as well as enabling important decision-makers to access a unique network of start-ups. This year is no exception, and WTFL appealed to the tourism-related start-up scene to apply for the Start-Up Innovation Camp at the end of April. From over 400 applications received from more than 90 countries, 15 finalists were chosen. During the digital Start-Up Innovation Camp, they will receive exclusive input and coaching from industry experts and the unique opportunity to pitch their business model to interested investors. The recently developed Dealflow Tool will allow start-ups and investors to be matched even more easily in the future.

Last November, World Tourism Forum Lucerne launched a call to the founders of tourism-related start-ups around the world inviting them to apply to this year’s Start-Up Innovation Camp. Over 400 applications were received from more than 90 countries, covering a broad spectrum ranging from digital solutions and gastro-guides to mattress rental. The scale of innovation and creativity is vast. This proves that innovative spirit is alive and well, despite the ongoing global pandemic. That’s why it is more important than ever to connect the driving forces behind it with established sources of knowledge and expertise, in order to shape the future of tourism together.

Start-ups benefit from exclusive expert knowledge

From all applicants, three finalists were selected from each of the five categories «Recovering» (Covid-19), «Living» (Hospitality), «Exploring» (Mobility & Destination), «Savoring» (Gastronomy), «Impacting» (Social Impact & Sustainability). At the end of April, the finalists will receive the golden opportunity to spend four days interacting with experts and investors.

The WTFL Start-Up Innovation Camp will be a digital event and is part of the Innovation Camp taking place this year in Andermatt, Switzerland. The Innovation Camp has been made possible thanks to the support of its Innovation Partners Accenture, Les Roches, Innosuisse and its Start-Up Partners TTC, Lakestar and Hapimag. As Innovation Partner, Accenture will give the finalists valuable input about relevant topics, such as strategy and funding. Furthermore, Accenture will offer guidance to participants, together with the other partners, via individual coaching sessions. On the final day, the start-ups will pitch their business model in front of investors and a jury of experts. The winning teams from the five categories will each receive a cash prize of 5000 Swiss Francs.

The new Dealflow Tool makes it even easier for start-ups to connect with investors

In its continual search for start-ups with novel and promising concepts for the tourism industry, WTFL has held many regional, national and international Start-Up Innovation Camps since 2015. Over the years, WTFL has therefore built up a unique network of start-ups. The Innovation Camps are based on the four cornerstones: «business optimization», «business expansion», «pitching» and «networking», and provide the participants a valuable opportunity to connect with investors.

WTFL is convinced that innovative business models, agile thinking and strong partnerships positively influence the future of the entire tourism industry. Both sides benefit from a mutual exchange of ideas between established and fledgling businesses. However, WTFL doesn’t just match start-ups with potential investors, it also gives a voice to small businesses that want to actively shape the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. To further enable these connections outside of the Innovation Camps themselves, WTFL has been working on the development of a new Dealflow Tool for the past two years (see below).

Dealflow Tool: The Dealflow Tool connects the world’s best start-ups with the right investors. The new digital platform is an extension of the overall WTFL concept, which for over 10 years has offered international start-ups, experts and investors a platform for the exchange of ideas. Used in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) the tool can also benefit tourism destinations, enabling them to create, support and foster a start-up community that brings in new, future-oriented and disruptive ideas.

Start-Up Innovation Camp: Since 2015, WTFL has been organizing regional, national and international Start-Up Innovation Camps. In them, tourism-related start-ups are invited to an event lasting several days, where they can participate in workshops, benefit from expert-led coaching sessions on various subjects, and network with investors. This year’s Start-Up Innovation Camp will be held purely digitally.

Find out more about the 15 finalists at innovation2021-results.wtflucerne.org

Innovation Festival 2021: At the inaugural hybrid Innovation Festival leading personalities from the tourism industry and politics, as well as investors and start-ups will come together at the end of April to discuss the brightest new approaches. World Tourism Forum Lucerne is closely observing the pandemic situation and reserves the right to make changes to the date and programme.

Bangkok, Thailand, March 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / Top 25 Restaurants and Travelindex presented today its Awards Certificates to the Top 5 Chefs in Bangkok at restaurant Savelberg. Bangkok, as the top tourism destination in the world for several years running in Mastercard’s annual travel index and with a very diverse and dynamic dining scene was the perfect choice for this first Top 25 Restaurants Awards Certificate presentation.

The Awards were presented by Khun Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Deputy-Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to the following Chefs:

– Chef Arnaud Dunand Sauthier of Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental Hotel,

– Chef Ryuki Kawasaki of Mezzaluna at lebua vertical destination,

– Chef Vincent Thierry of Chef’s Table at lebua vertical destination,

– Chef Henk Savelberg of Savelberg at Oriental Residence,

– Chef Supaksorn Jongsiri of Sorn.

Top25Restaurants.com, published by the Travelindex Group is the world’s first and only restaurant guide based on AI. Top25Restaurants.com announced its latest rankings for Bangkok in December 2020.

Top25Restaurants.com is celebrating fine dining in five cities across Asia, highlighting in each city its the culinary dynamism, as well as new trends and chefs supporting local community products. Top 25 Restaurants contributes to the prestige of the local fine dining scene and, with the integration into the Travelindex global ecosystem, contributes to attract more visitors and tourists to the cities and countries.

Restaurant ratings and reviews are critical in the consumer decision making process. The Top 25 Restaurants Guide is based on Travelindex owned and patented, “Restaurant Rating Index”. The 3-tier rating combines the power of crowd wisdom (social media and review sites) with artificial intelligence behavioural algorithms and a zest of human expertise from some of the world’s top culinary experts.

“We believe our restaurant guide and awards will contribute to foster the image of Bangkok and Thailand as a prime regional gastronomy destination, once the pandemic is under control”, said Bernard Metzger Founder of Travelindex Group and Top25Restaurants Guide series.

He added; “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, experts were not able to visit and evaluate restaurants as in previous years. Out of respect for the chefs and owners whose primary concern this year has been survival rather than winning awards or improving ratings, we added more context data to our algorithm and feedback from local foodies”.

The hospitality and the restaurant sectors in Bangkok and Thailand have been hardly hit by the pandemic, which has led to some permanent restaurant closures. However, Thailand’s overall response, and ability to curb Covid-19 infections, has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to identify Thailand, as a success story in dealing with the pandemic.

Travelindex Group and Top25Restaurants.com are committed to further promote Thailand as a gourmet heaven to attract more fine dining lovers by publishing, in 2022 a much-expanded restaurant guide and larger award certificate presentation event.

About Travelindex and Top25Restaurants.com
Travelindex is content-driven ecosystem for the travel and tourism sectors. The group operates an open and free digital platform connecting directly over 800,000 companies worldwide. With a network of 90+ owned online properties we interconnect the tourism and lifestyle economy. Travelindex offers a unique marketing channel for all organizations, companies and businesses in travel, hospitality and lifestyle. Currently the Top25Restaurants Guide series is published in Bangkok, Singapore Hong Kong, Delhi and Shanghai. Travelindex Group contributes to socio-economic developments by enabling universal and equitable access to data and information.

Travelindex is a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Affiliate Member and a Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Preferred Partner.

Singapore, March 11, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / It was just over a year ago that the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Singapore Yacht Show (SYS 2020) was the first of the major international yacht shows to have to postpone its annual event due to the arrival on the global stage of the Covid-19 pandemic. How the world has changed – some think irreversibly – since then…

Exactly six weeks to go to the third scheduled opening, the SYS organizing team at Verventia are devastated to have to share that, on the advice of the show’s major stakeholders, including our principal exhibitors, a decision has been made to postpone what is now effectively SYS
2021 to later in the year.

While the organisers totally accept that the Safe Management Measures still currently imposed on business events in Singapore are necessary and clearly effective, after much deliberation they have concluded that it will be too challenging to stage SYS to the satisfaction of exhibitors and sponsors for the moment.

The consensus of opinion is that the show should be delayed until the advent of the global vaccination programme forces the retreat of the virus and facilitates the re-opening of borders, such that a near-normal SYS – so important for awakening the massive latent yachting market in Asia – can be properly staged. Realistic and practical new dates will be agreed with industry and government stakeholders alike and will be announced as soon as possible.

Verventia CEO Andy Treadwell remains resolutely positive and ever-optimistic: “Obviously this is something that nobody wanted – least of all us, from a commercial point of view. But the same forces that have taken away the shows, freezing marketing budgets and whole businesses like ours, have at the same time created an unprecedented boom in boat sales and a massive uplift in the industry – and, in my view, in its future, especially in Asia. So I don’t think it’s a time for complaining or despairing at all – the whole leisure boating industry, including its supply chains, eco-systems and universes, are currently doing, or will soon be doing, very well indeed out of all this and the undoubted global economic boom that will surely follow.”

As to the future, Treadwell continued: “We have to slightly re-think our business model, maybe, but everyone I’ve spoken to is totally supportive and wants us to continue developing our plans for the region – which we are doing entirely in consultation with the industry. Thailand’s government have finally rewarded our faith and shown that they believe in this industry and its future, and we believe that the rest of the region will follow suit eventually. We are consolidating the three regional shows and planning major changes in how we operate, so as to keep the boom going in the context of the new norms. We will be making some big announcements
soon!”

About Verventia Pte Ltd
Verventia is a business catalyst, providing sales and marketing platforms for introducing manufacturers and suppliers to distributors and end users, as well as presenting global audiences with new lifestyle products and services.

The company’s unique database of yachting and lifestyle industry connections and buyers gleaned from 10 years of organizing events in the sector, combined with its extensive experience in government lobbying, make it an exceptional facilitator of industry growth and business development in the untapped market of Asia.

Well-versed in the implementation of successful marketing campaigns, event production and project management, the experienced and professional team at Verventia are fully dedicated to delivering world-class events in unique venues around the world.

Verventia’s current portfolio comprises the Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong Yacht Shows, with several major new projects coming online in 2021/22.