Episode 3: High Yield Tourism Podcast
Impressions from Travel & Tourism Conferences
With:
Gary
Bowerman
Dr Jens
Thraenhart
Listen to it now on your favourite podcast channels:
Summary
This podcast episode discusses the key themes and insights from recent travel industry conferences and events attended by the hosts Gary Bowerman and Jens Thraenhart across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Jens shares his experiences at events like the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, the PATA Annual Summit in Macau, the Guangzhou International Travel Fair, ITB China in Shanghai, and the Nepal Tourism 2.0 Forum in Kathmandu. He highlights the growing importance of the Middle Eastern market, the rapid development of destinations like Saudi Arabia, and the need for destinations to understand and cater to the behaviours and expectations of Chinese and Indian travellers. Gary discusses his participation in the World Line Rise travel event in Barcelona, focusing on Asian travel trends, payments, and the impact of TV and movie productions on tourism. They also touch on the challenges of overcrowding in European cities like Madrid and Barcelona during the summer season. The discussion emphasises the importance of high-yield tourism, targeting the proper travellers who spend more and have a smaller environmental footprint, and the need for strategic planning, market diversification, and addressing sustainability concerns in the industry.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM) and Middle Eastern Market
Jens shares his experiences at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, which he describes as the biggest show yet, with a significant presence from Saudi Arabia and its various giga projects. He discusses the growing importance of the Middle Eastern market, the diversification efforts of destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Oman, and the potential for the region to become a major tourism hub with the support of strong air capacity from airlines like Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways.
Greater China and Understanding Chinese Travelers
Jens discusses his visits to Macau for the PATA Annual Summit, Guangzhou for the Guangzhou International Travel Fair, and Shanghai for ITB China. He emphasises the importance of understanding how Chinese travellers behave within their own country and catering to their expectations, such as seamless mobile payments through platforms like AliPay. He also highlights the potential for destinations to target high-yield Chinese tourists, especially from markets like Singapore, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia.
World Line Rise Travel Event and Asian Travel Trends
Gary shares his experiences at the World Line Rise travel event in Barcelona, where he discussed Asian travel trends, including self-drive travel, high-speed rail tourism, gastro tourism, live music, and the impact of TV and movie productions on tourism. He also highlights the growing presence of independent Asian travellers, particularly from China and India, in popular European destinations like Madrid and Barcelona.
Overcrowding and Sustainability Challenges in Europe
Gary discusses the high volume of tourism expected in Europe during the summer season, particularly in cities like Madrid and Barcelona. He shares an anecdote about the overcrowding and potential for pickpocketing in these destinations, highlighting the challenges of managing high tourist volumes and the need for sustainable tourism practices.
Nepal Tourism 2.0 Forum and Potential of Nepal
Jens shared his experiences at the Nepal Tourism 2.0 Forum in Kathmandu, where he presented on high-yield tourism and digital marketing for Nepal. He discussed Nepal’s potential as an underrated destination for spiritual, wellness, and outdoor tourism and the challenges faced by the country, such as infrastructure issues, leakage of tourism revenue, and the need for a clear positioning and storytelling strategy.
Strategic Planning and Market Diversification
The hosts discuss the need for strategic planning, market diversification, and a focus on sustainability in the travel industry. They highlight the importance of targeting high-yield tourists, reducing leakage, and adopting a more reflective approach to address future challenges, such as climate change and changing consumer behaviours.
Key Highlights
00:11:50 Destinations should understand and cater to the behaviours and expectations of Chinese and Indian travellers, such as seamless mobile payments and electric vehicle infrastructure.
00:31:16 Destinations should target high-yield tourists to reduce leakage and increase profits while also minimising the environmental footprint.
00:27:10 Nepal should focus on developing its tourism infrastructure, positioning, and storytelling to attract more international visitors and leverage its potential for spiritual, wellness, and outdoor tourism.
00:29:14 To address future challenges, such as climate change and changing consumer behaviours, the travel industry should adopt strategic planning, market diversification, and sustainable practice
00:15:12 Destinations should explore opportunities to leverage TV and movie productions to promote tourism and create emotional connections with potential visitors.
High-Yield Tourism
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Singapore 049422
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