29 June 2020, Mice Affairs Media Group India
Chairman Announces ‘Open House Hong Kong’ to Prepare for the Return of Visitors
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) hosts an online forum
titled “Beyond COVID-19: Global Tourism’s New Normal” – the first event of its
kind focusing on the post-pandemic tourism prospects for Hong Kong, Mainland,
Asia, and the world.
Over 4,000 tourism industry representatives, journalists,
and academics registered for the event as global industry leaders share
insights into the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on travel, how the
industry should respond, and the trends to expect as people begin travelling again
in the post-pandemic period.
In his opening remarks, HKTB Chairman Dr YK Pang
emphasised the importance of restoring consumer confidence. “As an industry,
our central mission must be to give every traveller the confidence and
reassurance that their trip is safe from start to finish,” he said. “Our
cooperation must cross geographical and business boundaries. We must pool our
knowledge and expertise and draw on our collective ingenuity to navigate the
challenges that lie ahead of us.”
Dr Pang highlighted initiatives Hong Kong’s tourism
industry has taken to stay ahead of the curve in containing the spread of the
pandemic, and announced that the HKTB would team up with the HKSAR Government
and trade partners to create “Open House Hong Kong” – a unique and region-leading
travel platform to tell the world Hong Kong is a COVID-safe destination ready
to welcome back visitors
with attractive offerings and exciting experiences. He invited trade partners from around the world to
support the platform by providing enticing offers for travelling to Hong Kong
as a leading destination for visitors from every continent.
Seven internationally-respected speakers representing
different sectors discussed the latest consumer sentiments and behaviour, and
gave their insights into the challenges confronting the industry. Here is a
selection of their expert observations:
Steve Saxon, Partner, McKinsey & Company“COVID-19 is a major humanitarian
challenge. Yet there are implications for the wider economy and businesses. For
instance, USD 0.9 trillion to 1.2 trillion has been lost in export revenues
from tourism worldwide. While global tourism may return to previous levels in
2022, China, Indonesia, and the US stand out in optimism, with travel in China
coming back to around half of the previous levels currently. However, traveller
confidence is still low, and recovery is slower than expected. On the other
hand, there is a major opportunity to capitalise on domestic travel and younger
and family travellers, as most consumers are expecting to travel less –
especially internationally – after COVID-19. China, the UK, and Germany are
among those with greatest potential in domestic travel.”
Hermione Joye, Sector Lead, Travel & Vertical
Search APAC, Google“COVID-19
has led to a generational shift in the way the world operates, the travel
industry almost came to a halt with global interest in travel dropping 3 times
of that of pre-COVID times (based on search data). As a result, there is no
longer a predictable normal when it comes to how consumers behave, and this is
particularly true when it comes to the way they are thinking about travel. I am
looking forward to sharing trends, consumer insights and principles that could
help marketers respond in the ‘new normal’.”
Jane Sun, CEO, Trip.com Group“At Trip.com Group, we believe it
is our duty to guide travellers and the industry through this challenging
period. That’s why from the onset of the pandemic, our teams have worked
tirelessly to process over RMB 30 billion in cancellations, and we’ve given our
partners over RMB 1 billion in financial support. Now, as things come under
control, we’re seeing a rebound in demand, we’ve launched a USD 500 million
fund for partners, and we’re offering flexible, safe, and discounted travel
options for customers – to help our customers and the industry ‘travel on’.”
Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, World Travel &
Tourism Council (WTTC)“The
COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating global socio-economic impact, our
recent research shows that more than 197 million jobs are at risk, which would
cause a loss of more than USD 5.5 trillion to Travel & Tourism GDP
worldwide. It is vital for the survival of the Travel & Tourism sector that
we work together and map out the road to recovery, through coordinated actions,
and rebuild the confidence that people need to begin travelling once again. Our
recently launched ‘Safe Travels’ stamp will enable travellers to recognise the
businesses and destinations worldwide which have implemented the WTTC global
protocols and will encourage the return of ‘Safe Travels’ around the world. It
will, in turn, enable the Travel & Tourism sector to reopen for business
and move in a coordinated approach.”
Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO,
International Air Transport Association (IATA)“The revival of the travel and tourism sector is vital.
Millions of livelihoods depend on it. As some parts of the world begin to
reopen their economies, I have no doubt that people will still want to travel.
But adapting to the realities of COVID-19 and rebuilding people’s confidence is
a challenge that must be met head-on with cooperation. Aviation is a case in
point. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) developed global
guidelines to mitigate the risk COVID-19 transmission when traveling by air.
Now governments need to align in leading the implementation with the full
support of the industry. We will only be successful by working together.”
Peter C. Borer, COO, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels
Ltd“The hospitality
industry will move forward towards a ‘new normal’, with unprecedented health
and safety measures in place. As leaders of the industry, we must collaborate,
leave behind the paradigms of the past and look towards a new future. The hotel
industry was already moving towards digitisation, artificial intelligence and
robotics, and the health crisis has accelerated this trend. In the short term,
we must regain the confidence and the trust of our guests and reassure them
that they are safe when they stay with us. However, in the long term, the
fundamentals of hospitality will not change, and guests will always appreciate
personalised service.”
Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director & CEO, The Global
Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI)“Exhibitions and business events are the market places
and the meeting places for every industry around the world. They are key to any
economic recovery, and we have the know-how and standards to make them safe to
attend. COVID-19 will lead to new procedures, standards, and processes. The
pandemic is accelerating trends that were already shaping up around the
‘marriage’ of the on-site event with online services before, during, and after
the event. Business events will become more digital. But the main element that
is driving success is and remains the direct exchange, the face-to-face
meeting. Clicks don’t discuss deals, and eyeballs don’t sign orders.”
A recording of “Beyond
COVID-19: Global Tourism’s
New Normal” is available for registrant to review from 8am Hong Kong
time on 25 June 2020. Each registered account can view the recording on one
device at a time.
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