About High-Yield Tourism
Diverse global tourism industry experience
High-Yield Tourism (HYT) is a travel and tourism market intelligence and strategic planning team developed by Dr Jens Thraenhart and Gary Bowerman. Our mission is to rethink the economics of tourism and build more diverse, resilient and equitable visitor economies.
We work with our partners to deconstruct the critical dynamics and evolving consumer trends in HYT markets. Our index-based Why? What? How? model analyzes the factors influencing cost-effective visitor acquisition from an identified HYT market. We then custom-create strategies and tools to build a profitable bridge between mass and luxury tourism.
The High-Yield Tourism team counts C-suite experience of managing tourism board at the executive level, working with tourism ministers and boards to deliver strategic goals. We also sit on the UN Tourism Affiliate Members Board. Our analysis is used to interpret complex tourism policy projections and market outcomes by destinations, market research firms, strategic insights agencies, investment banks, travel suppliers and consumer brands.
Our team has profound experience in tourism and hospitality branding, marketing and customer engagement in Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
Regular speakers at travel and tourism conferences around the world, we are frequently engaged by media outlets, including CNN, BBC, CNA, Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Reuters and China Daily, to comment on developing travel and tourism issues and trends.
Our Founders
Gary Bowerman
Markets Lead
Gary Bowerman is an Asia-based travel economist and consumer trends consultant, and a regular conference speaker and media commentator. As Director of Check-in Asia, a travel consulting and research firm focused on China and Asia Pacific, Gary works with travel organisations, consumer brands, investment banks, management consulting and trends forecasting firms across Asia Pacific and worldwide.
The Asia Travel Analyst for Phocuswright, Gary covers inbound, outbound and domestic travel markets in China, Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. He is co-host of The South East Asia Travel Show, and founder of the Asia Travel Re:Set newsletter, which is read by travel professionals worldwide.
Described by Travel Weekly Asia as “a leading expert on Chinese tourism,” Gary is author of The New Chinese Traveler: Business Opportunities from the Chinese Travel Revolution (Palgrave, 2014). His new co-written book, The Return of Chinese Outbound Tourism: Changes & Experiences in the Post-Pandemic Era, will be published by Routledge in 2025.
Gary is invited to speak at travel and tourism conferences worldwide. Recent engagements include the UNWTO, Global Tourism Economy Forum, World Islamic Tourism Forum, Worldline, Indonesia Ministry of Tourism and ASEAN Tourism Forum in locations ranging from Shanghai, Singapore and Bangkok to Barcelona, Madrid and London. He is also regularly engaged by global media, including BBC, CNA, CNN, Bloomberg, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Time, SCMP and China Daily, to discuss Asian travel trends and developments.
Dr Jens Thraenhart
Strategy Lead
Dr Jens Thraenhart is the Founding Partner of Chameleon Strategies, a 25-year-old bespoke strategy consulting firm, and the 2nd Vice Chair of the UNWTO’s Tourism Affiliate Members. He is currently consulting for the Saudi Tourism Authority based in Riyadh, after having served as CEO of Barbados Tourism Marketing, where Barbados won the Green Destination Award for Climate Change & Environment. He also launched an innovative employment engagement program and a data-driven strategy.
Prior, he led the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office as Executive Director, extending his contract for four terms. He founded Destination Mekong and initiated several programs, including the Experience Mekong Collection and the Mekong Mini Movie Festival. He co-founded Dragon Trail in Beijing, published China Travel Trends, and served as the first Chair of PATA China. Previously, he has led marketing and digital strategy teams with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, with Fairmont.com being awarded as best travel website, and Destination Canada where he launched the Canadian e-Tourism Awards, and the Canada-e-Connect Conference.
Jens holds a doctorate in Tourism and Hospitality Management from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, an MBA from Cornell University, and a joint BSc from the University of Massachusetts and the University Center ‘Cesar Ritz’. He has been recognized among the top rising stars in travel by Travel Agent Magazine, HSMAI’s Extraordinary Minds, a Global Travel Hero by the World Tourism Network, and one of the Top 10 Most Influential Leaders in Travel by Travel Vertical.
Gerrit Kruger
Operations Lead
Gerrit Kruger has more than 20 years of experience in branding, marketing, and customer relationship management in the services and hospitality industry.
After gaining his bachelor’s in International Management, Marketing, and Tourism at the International University in Germany and the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, he started his career at the Singapore Tourism Board. Working with the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) division, he engaged local and international organizations to attract global events to Singapore. After this, Gerrit gained experience in branding, marketing, CRM, and business development, in various roles amongst them with the Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and as the Deputy Director of the German Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Representative office in Southeast Asia.
In 2010, he launched his company Studio DMB in Singapore and Germany to support the tourism and hospitality sector in branding, marketing, and customer engagement.
He has been the head of Branding and Loyalty Marketing for Dusit Hotels & Resorts as well as led various other projects in the hospitality industry in Canada, Cambodia, China, Germany, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Our Partners
Chameleon Strategies
Chameleon Strategies is an award-winning partner to the hospitality, travel, and services industries. We leverage leading technology and build strategies to provide our clients with sustainable and inclusive solutions to grow, engage their stakeholders, and inspire consumers. Our interdisciplinary teams and partners are located in Asia, Europe, and North America. Since 2008, we are an Affiliate Member of the UN Tourism (UNWTO). Since 2019 we are members of the board of Affiliate Members of UN Tourism. Read more...
The South East Asia Travel Show
Launched in January 2020, The South East Asia Travel Show is a weekly podcast co-hosted by Gary Bowerman and Hannah Pearson. Each week, it discusses the hottest travel and tourism topics in South East Asia and Asia Pacific. Regular interviews with influential figures from across the region examine trending travel issues from unique perspectives. In 2023, the show was downloaded in 95 countries worldwide.
Every episode of the show is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all international podcast apps.
Read more...
Asia Travel Re:Set
Launched in September 2020, Asia Travel Re:Set is a weekly newsletter covering the latest developments in travel and tourism throughout Asia Pacific. Each edition examines how travel and tourism are responding to shifting regional and global economic, political and societal influences. Coverage spans from Australia to China, Singapore to Japan, the Philippines to Maldives – and everywhere in between. Asia Travel Re:Set is read by travel industry professionals, government officials, academics, consultants, media, researchers and travellers across the globe. The full back catalogue is available to read...
Balanced Tourism
Balanced Tourism focuses on achieving an equilibrium between the economic, social, and environmental aspects of tourism while balancing growth and preservation. It seeks to optimize benefits for the destination while minimizing negative impacts, as well as reducing the leakage factor to drive inclusive economic growth. While both Balanced Tourism and Sustainable Tourism aim for responsible tourism, Balanced Tourism specifically targets an equilibrium among various aspects of tourism to balance growth and preservation, whereas Sustainable Tourism is more focused on long-term conservation and responsible management of resources.
High-Yield Tourism
68 Circular Road #02-01
Singapore 049422
Email: hello@highyieldtourism.com
