The Web in Travel Singapore event, scheduled for October 2-4, sets the stage for addressing rising trends and challenges in the travel industry. Industry leaders identify three core issues that currently demand attention-adapting to fluctuating consumer demands, combating greenwashing to maintain sustainability momentum, and navigating cybersecurity risks associated with rapidly evolving technologies.
Ahead of the Web in Travel Singapore event on October 2-4, titled: The Human Revolution, three travel leaders have spoken about the emerging trends that are keeping them awake at night. With AI developing faster than ever, and climate change becoming increasingly urgent, these leaders told us what they fear – and what they’re doing about it.
Three things keeping APAC’s travel leaders up at night:
1. Staying nimble to ever-evolving consumer demands
“There has been a significant increase in demand for both short-haul and long-haul travel in recent weeks, especially for Chinese outbound group tours, which has surged by 3.5 times compared to last month,” said Boon Sian Chai, Managing Director and Vice President, International Markets, Trip.com Group. “We’re actively collaborating with our partners to craft tailored packages for various groups of travellers – many of whom are exploring destinations like Japan, Thailand, and Singapore, which are ranked among the most sought-after places.
“What truly keeps me awake is the challenge of staying nimble and responsive to these ever-evolving consumer demands, while continuously enhancing the value we bring to our customers in this fast-changing travel landscape.”
2.Making sure sustainability progress isn’t hindered by greenwashing
“Enabling environmentally friendly travel is challenging, but not impossible,” said Loic Dujardin, head of ESG at Traveloka. “I believe that every step, no matter how big or small, counts. Research has shown that Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region when it comes to sustainable tourism, as consumers here are increasingly conscious of their carbon footprint. A collective effort driven by commitment, from industry players to our consumers, will pave the way for a greener future.
“At Traveloka, we have partnered with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to provide training to our hotel partners to obtain GSTC-accredited certification. We have also launched a pilot climate action checkout for users in Singapore, and have plans to roll out further sustainable initiatives to offer travelers comprehensive and high-quality products and services.”
3.Cybersecurity risks associated with evolving technologies
“With technology evolving at breakneck speeds, cybersecurity is something that keeps me awake at night,” said Doris Goh, VP Commercial, at Como Hotels. “The amount of compromised access situations and the increasing sophistication of cybercrimes is an ongoing challenge for the industry. Data privacy is of utmost importance to our business; we are prioritising staff training and compliance to ensure we can continue to safeguard our business and customers from these threats.”
Find out more about what’s exciting and terrifying APAC’s travel leaders at the Web in Travel mainstage session, The Heart of Tech & Product on October 3, where Airbnb’s General Counsel Darrell Chan will speak to Expedia’s Karen Bolda, Wego founder Ross Veitch, Travelport’s Tom Kershaw and Google’s Gianni Marostica.
George is the News Feed Manager, Content Creator, and Social Media Manager at the TravelDailyNews network of online newspapers. At the same time, he is completing his studies in the Department of Business Administration at the Athens University of Economics and Business.
