More than 4,000 tourism industry representatives, academics and media registered for the event as global industry leaders shared insights into the impacts COVID-19 has had on travel, how the industry should respond and the trends to expect as people begin travelling again in a post-pandemic era.
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. 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 said.
Dr Pang highlighted various initiatives that the Hong Kong tourism industry has taken to stay ahead of the curve in containing the spread of the pandemic. He also announced a partnership between HKTB, HKSAR Government and trade partners to create “Open House Hong Kong” – a unique and region-leading travel platform to show the world that Hong Kong is a COVID-safe destination ready to welcome visitors with attractive offerings and exciting experiences.
Seven internationally-respected speakers representing different sectors discussed the latest consumer sentiments and behaviour. The panellists provided their insights into the challenges confronting the industry, here is a selection of their expert observations:
Steve Saxon, Partner, McKinsey & Company said “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 said “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 three 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 said “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) said “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 and 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 and tourism sector to reopen for business and move in a coordinated approach.”
Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO, International Air Transport Association (IATA) said “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 said “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) said “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 by registering at:
https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowUUID=ABC3688D-5064-4F68-82CA-1222C186581A
Website: www.mehongkong.com
A recording of “Beyond COVID-19: Global Tourism's New Normal” is available by registering at:
https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowUUID=ABC3688D-5064-4F68-82CA-1222C186581A
Website: www.mehongkong.com
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