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ILTM Asia Pacific 2019 confirmed as premier ‘one stop’ opportunity to meet region’s top decision making agents

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With Asia Pacific continuing to dominate the world’s high net worth population, the second edition of ILTM Asia Pacific – which took place place in Singapore, 27 – 30 May 2019 – was 10% bigger than the first in 2018, hosting 572 buyers from across the region who took part in 30,422 one-to-one, pre-selected meetings with some of the world’s latest and most interesting and luxury travel brands.

Pascal Visintainer, Vice President Luxury Sales, AccorHotels commented:

“ILTM Asia Pacific is vital – a one stop opportunity to meet the region’s top decision-making agents. The range and quality of buyers is well distributed across Australasia as well as Asia Pacific and we have already confirmed bookings that have given us a great return on our investment. The highlight of the show was definitely The Retreat as a platform for health and wellness – a feature where we plan to be much more involved next year.”

According to Capgemini Asia Pacific is ‘on track to surpass US$42 trillion by 2025’ and in 2017 the region generated 41.4% of all new global HNWI wealth. Emerging markets powered more than half of Asia Pacific new wealth growth– India is up 20% in HNWI wealth and population.

At ILTM Asia Pacific, there were significant increases in the number of buyers from Australia (9%), Korea (21%), Malaysia (33%), New Zealand (133%) and the Philippines (38%) and new agents attending from Bangladesh, Moldova, Armenia, Belarus. 49% were new to the ILTM Portfolio and 61% new to ILTM Asia Pacific.

Both established and smaller brand guests were enthusiastic in their praise of ILTM Asia Pacific. Kristi Kavanaugh-Bradley of Aspen Skiing Company commented: “We have a very powerful brand so we need the top 1% of the 1% of the 1%… the Cartiers internationally and this is where their agents are!”

And Ninna Haflidadottir of Iceland Luxury added, “We received good bookings and increased interest in our destination as a direct result of attending ILTM last year. This year the meetings have taken it to another level.”

Jeannie Yom of The London West Hollywood said: “This is our first time at ILTM Asia Pacific and we are really meeting clients that matter. ILTM is very specific in marketing to both suppliers and buyers, matching decision makers with decision makers and I received booking requests while I was sitting at the show. This is one show you have to be at every year!

“Last year was excellent but ILTM Asia Pacific is a much better quality show again. All my clients have had a full agenda of very qualified appointments and a lot of genuine interest. We’ll be back bigger and better next year!” saidChristine Galle-Luczak of Heavens Portfolio.

Productive buyers – the well-known as well as many fresh new faces – were also delighted. Melissa Ferguson of Australia’s Mary Rossi Travel said “ILTM is now my favourite trade show globally – I love it!”

Akiyo Fukuchi of Japan’s Aspire Lifestyles commented: “ILTM Asia Pacific is very important as I am looking for new partnerships, new destinations and new contacts. Ultimately, I am beyond delighted with the business opportunities presented to me this week.”

“I am a real ambassador for ILTM,” commented Alizes Private’s Karim Fahry Fassy. “You can feel the team love what they do and this is contagious. Emotional experiences is what it is about, it’s what we seek and what we specialise in.”

And David Goldman of Goldman Group added emphatically: “Our industry is built on solid relationships and to have the opportunity to network with old and new friends is very special. ILTM Asia Pacific is the only place to meet the best of the best and I can’t wait for 2020.”

Health and Wellness is a key element of every ILTM portfolio event and ILTM Asia Pacific created an area devoted to brands and their treatments/specialist areas of the sector. Spend in the sector globally is expected to reach US$919bn by 2022 according to the Global Wellness Institute and the Asia Pacific region is set to make some 258m trips and spend in excess of $136bn on wellness tourism. The focus will continue again next year at ILTM Asia Pacific 2020, taking place again at Marina Bay Sands Singapore 18 – 21 May 2020.

eTN is a media partner for ILTM.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lucy Clifton, Spotlight, Tel: +44 7973 464273, Email: [email protected]

ILTM Asia Pacific 2019: Luxury travel ‘mindstyle’ shifts from indulgence and status to health and wellness

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Travel brands must significantly upgrade their health & wellness proposition to better connect with the new mindstyle of luxury travelers in Asia Pacific (APAC). Plant-based dining, MediSpa and digital detoxing are just some of the expectations of the new wave of luxury consumers across APAC, while there is huge gap between the simple vegetarian options, massage rooms and ‘free WiFi’ being offered by some travel businesses today.

Such findings are made clear in a new insight report by Reuter: Intelligence, created in partnership with the ILTM Asia Pacific, that analysed the key sectors and leading case studies of health and wellness in APAC and how a new consumer mindstyle is set to impact the travel market.

Lee Folland, Research Director of Reuter: Intelligence said, “The report, analysing diverse categories of industry, discovered that luxury Asian consumers now have a health and wellness mindstyle – both their mindset and lifestyle are centred around the world of wellness. This means that travel and hospitality businesses must shift away from simply promoting intangible ‘escapes’ to tangible, results-based holistic health and wellness.”

Asian wellness mindstyle across diverse sectors

The diverse aspects of wellness mindstyle presented in the report look at where each industry sector was, is now – and where it’s heading – across various categories. Health & wellness travel in the region is distinct from its western counterpart, with regional cultures having a different take – and historic experience – with wellness.

Alison Gilmore, Portfolio Director of ILTM said, “This report is a deep dive into an awe-inspiring new segment, packed full of actionable insights that business leaders will find both timely from a strategic perspective, and fascinating from a personal one. One thing is for certain; things are changing and they are changing fast. But, armed with the right data and the right interpretation, no other industry is better placed to capture and serve this explosion of need.”

Luxury travel must catch up with the wellness industry

The Global Wellness Summit (GWI) Global Wellness Tourism Economy report stated that the industry is worth USD 4.2 trillion globally, a year-over-year growth of over 12%. In APAC, the corporate wellness market alone is expected to reach US$7.4 billion by 2024 (transparency market research) representing a growth rate of 9%, and Asia has been the fastest-growing region in both wellness tourism trips and revenues for each of the last five years.

Affluent Asian consumers are seeking new forms of wellness experiences in the face of hectic modern lifestyles and the pressures brought by professional demands, environmental pollution and the invasion of social media. This is greatly impacting the travel industry as consumers look to combine their wellness mindstyle with the escapism of luxury tourism.

The consumer drive for health and wellness means that they are exploring innovative and exciting wellness throughout forms of hobbies, sports, relaxation and life. While a fitness centre and spa may have been the sum total of a luxury resorts ‘wellness’ offering in years gone by, the most pioneering brands are now offering retreats with holistic wellness, featuring cutting-edge techniques, technologies and services.

eTN is a media partner for ILTM.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Lucy Clifton: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 208 334 4003 / +44 (0) 7973 464273 (WhatsApp)

Nina Gardiner:[email protected] Tel: + 44 (0) 7770 306689 (WhatsApp)

ILTM: Three consumer archetypes driving wellness and luxury travel in Asia

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At the forefront of luxury travel trends, International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) Asia Pacific opened in Singapore. To mark the occasion, ILTM released its latest research identifying three consumer archetypes that travel brands should be on the lookout for to capitalize on the escalating wellness and luxury travel sector. According to the latest Global Wellness Institute (GWI) report, wellness tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in the wellness economy today and Asia Pacific is now the fastest growing market, catapulting its future value to US$252 billion.

Commissioned by ILTM, the report is produced by CatchOn, a Finn Partners company and is available online at view.iltm.com. The study is the result of 50 one-on-one interviews with travelers, luxury tour operators, spa consultants, travel journalists, wellness destination resorts and hospitality brands based in Asia Pacific. The report identifies three consumer archetypes who will be driving the future of wellness tourism in Asia: Female Travelers, Affluent New Agers and Chinese Millennial Millionaires.

Cathy Feliciano-Chon, Managing Partner of CatchOn, presented the research in a keynote speech at the ILTM Asia Pacific Opening Forum. The overwhelming statistics reflect the growing wellness industry in the region: China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia all clocked 20+% annual gains last year and the market will essentially double from 2017–2022.

As Ms. Feliciano-Chon explained: “Asian traditions and healing philosophies – from yoga, Ayurveda to traditional Chinese medicine’s concept of balance and energy – have influenced virtually every aspect of the wellness industry for several decades. Review any spa menu or retreat package in the world and you will inevitably find Asia’s influence. International travel brands, wherever they are in the world, should take this opportunity and be part of this dynamic region’s outbound travel.”

Wellness has become a dominant consumer value and lifestyle driver, profoundly changing behavior, choices and spending decisions. Wellness trips now represent 6.5% of all tourism trips taken worldwide, growing a massive 15.3% annually to reach 830 million trips each year. In the midst of this explosive growth, Asia-Pacific now ranks second – at 258 million wellness trips annually – just behind Europe, according to GWI.

The research dives deeper into the GWI’s assessment of wellness tourism by recognizing two types of wellness travelers: Primary and Secondary. GWI defines primary wellness travelers as those who see wellness as the main purpose for their trip and choosing a destination. The second group see wellness as an add-on to the reason for their trip – but both can be the same person taking different types of trips at different times. For every primary wellness trip taken in Asia, there are 13 more secondary wellness trips.

Key Highlights:

Female Travelers:

• Women’s spending power is surging: From 2013-2023, the global incomes of women will grow from US$13 trillion to US$18 trillion.

• Female travelers present the highest customer lifetime value because they engage in wellness travel the longest.

• It’s the guru that matters the most. Retreats are built around the cult of fitness and yoga celebrity instructors and life coaches.

• Women are putting solo trips on their bucket list. Solo, but in the company of others.

• Wellness for women has gone beyond yoga and detoxes into hormonal imbalance and cellular aging.

• There’s been a boom in women’s-only walking clubs in Australia and tours like Walk Japan as well as self-imposed hiking trail challenges.

Affluent New Agers

• A high concentration of wealth in Asia, combined with longer life expectancies, have made aging aspirational. Asians have the means to pursue wellness in earlier stages of life.

• These luxury travelers want to achieve and maintain quality of – not only life – but lifestyle.

• Affluent New Agers are still value conscious and are more demanding in ensuring they get the very best for their money.

• New Agers are spending upwards of US$200k per trip.

• Demand has driven some tour operators to create special packages that combine physical activity with luxury experiences.

• Rising acceptance for LGBTQ+ in Asia creates potential for brands to capture this segment.

• Affluent New Agers are drivers for medical tourism.

Chinese Millennial Millionaires

• China’s middle classes are growing exponentially, producing more millionaires and billionaires.

• Wellness is the new status symbol among the 400-million Chinese millennials

• Health-conscious behaviors once associated with older generations are now embraced by millennials.

• Wellness trends include:

o Adventure, sports, educational courses
o Weekend anti-stress getaways
o Hidden all-inclusive resort locations
o Retreats for spiritual pursuit
o Action-packed itineraries
o Off-the-beaten track destinations, local immersions

Alison Gilmore, Portfolio Director ILTM & Lifestyle Portfolios, speaking about how this growth sector is being integrated across the ILTM portfolio said: “We take the subject of health and wellness very seriously, and we announced at the end of last year that it would be an ongoing theme within each of our events, whether it’s a specialist area devoted to hands on treatments, advice as well as practical advice and trends research. All our guests at every ILTM will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in how this business can increase theirs wherever they are in the world, as well as take time out themselves to enjoy a bit of pampering.”

eTN is a media partner for ILTM.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Nina Gardiner | (44) 7770 306689 | [email protected] , Lucy Clifton | (44) 7973 464273 | [email protected]

Destination Florence CVB partners with City of Florence for international tourism promotion

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Destination Florence CVB is the new official partner of the City of Florence to promote the destination and better the quality of tourism.

The Florence Municipality, The Florentine Chamber of Commerce and The University of Florence signed an agreement to outline new and effective strategies in the tourism field, relying on the governence of tourism and the ability to directly foster agreements between institutions and individuals, while defining and clarifying the roles of various on-site actors.

The agreement is dedicated specifically to the MICE tourism and to better the quality of tourism in all the Florenctine territories and it has the aim of choosing a partner to develop activities and strategies.

Thanks to the winning of a competition notice, Destination Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau has been selected as the unique partner of the City of Florence and its partners to promote the destination all over the world and acquire more conferences and events.

To develop the activities, the Municipality of Florence allocated 320.000 Euros per year for a total period of three years, to be renewed for two more years.

Destination Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau has been operating for over 20 years as a destination agency to attract large events, congresses, international marriages, and individual tourists. It represents a comprehensive outlet for tourism thanks to more than 300 partners, a network that makes it possible to have a synchronized bond with the territory and the operators functioning within, strengthened by signed agreements with trade associations of reference.

The Ministry of Tourism of the city of Florence, Cecilia Del Re, said “We are very proud to have selected a unique partner for the promotion of the city. Florence is a unique city to host conferences and events also thanks to the new tramvia, the huge renovation of our congress centre and the future major enlargment of our airport”.

Destination Florence CVB presented a project to better the tourism within the city of Florence thanks to specific activities and with two main goals: acquire more conferences and events and attract a qualified tourism.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT:

– Increase the number of winning bid and conferences to be held in the city
– Presence at primary Fairs and Events of the sector (ILTM Cannes, ATM Dubai…)
– Augment number of tourists with a qualified profile and high spending capacity
– Increase the average duration of stay within the territory
– Expand and diversify the range of services, products, and experiences
– Qualitatively enhance the image of Florence worldwide
– Promote qualified and certified tourist services in the city, including the greater metropolitan area, to include lesser-known concepts of great touristic value

Carlotta Ferrari, Director of Destination Florence CVB said: “Florence is one of the most attractive destination of the world in fact it is in the top five cities to host conferences and events. We will continue to promote Florence to acquire more conferences and events each year.”

“Also, thanks to the Destination Florence project, we will develop and promote tourism offerings, proposing a benchmark for a single, potential national model. We are working with the most innovative technology as our new chat bot that we will presented in the next months and we are also opening our official account on WeChat to promote Florence in the Chinese market.”

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Saudi tourism sector worth over $70 billion in 2019

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Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector is expected to contribute $70.9 billion (SAR 263.1 billion) in total to the country’s GDP in 2019, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, as exhibitors prepare to showcase what the Kingdom has to offer at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May 2019.

According to data from ATM’s research partner Colliers, international arrivals to Saudi Arabia are expected to increase 5.6% per year from 17.7 million in 2018 to 23.3 million in 2023. Religious tourism is expected to remain the bedrock of the sector over the next decade, with a goal of attracting 30 million pilgrims to the Kingdom by 2030, an increase of 11 million from the 19 million Hajj and Umrah pilgrims that visited the country in 2017.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “At ATM, we are witnessing this growth first hand with the total number of delegates arriving from Saudi Arabia increasing 42% between 2017 and 2018, while 33% of delegates, exhibitors and attendees were interested in doing business with the Kingdom.

“More relaxed access to visas, through online portals such as the ‘Sharek’ and the growth of the Umrah plus market – combining religious and leisure travel – are expected to be key drivers in the growth of international tourism in the Kingdom.”

Vision 2030 has set aside $64 billion to invest in culture, leisure and entertainment projects over the next decade, which will significantly add to the attractiveness of the country as a touristic destination, according to a recent report from real estate firm Savills.

The first phase of the Red Sea project, which is estimated to grow the kingdom’s GDP by US$5.86 billion (SAR22 billion) and will consist of an airport, marinas, up to 3,000 hotel rooms and various recreational activities, is expected to complete during 2022.

Additionally, last year Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced the development of Amaala, a new ultra-luxury tourism megaproject which is earmarked for completion in 2028. The development will add 2,500 hotel rooms – further boosting the accommodation offering for both domestic and international visitors alike.

“Saudi Arabia will see a vast expansion of its hotel and resort inventory during 2019, with over 9,000 keys of three, four and five-star international supply expected to enter the market despite major cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah experiencing an overall drop in ADR during 2018.

“While, this new supply will place additional competitive pressure on hotels performance across the country, the projected growth in visitor numbers in both the domestic and international markets is expected to boost occupancy levels throughout 2019,” added Curtis.

Looking ahead to ATM 2019, Saudi exhibitors, who will highlight what the Kingdom has to offer and the exciting developments in the pipeline, include The Red Sea Development Company, Saudia – Saudi Arabian Airlines, Makarem Hotels, AlfaOne Concierge – and of course the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage who will have a major presence too.

A focused seminar titled ‘Why Tourism is Saudi’s new ‘White Oil’ will take place on the Global Stage on Monday 29th April between 14.50 – 15:50.  The session will discuss Saudi Arabia’s tourism potential as the Kingdom undergoes a period of rapid economic diversification and forges ahead with its Vision 2030 blueprint.

The upbeat tourism forecast is also being driven, by domestic tourism with the number of local tourist trips inside Saudi Arabia exceeding 47 million in 2018. The latest research from Colliers forecasts this figure to increase 8% per year to 70.5 million by 2023.

“Plans are already afoot in Saudi, to achieve the projected increase in domestic visitors, with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 blueprint forecast to double the number of UNESCO heritage sites and increase household spending on cultural and entertainment activities inside the country from 2.9% to 6%.

“Meanwhile, the Quality of Life Vision Realisation Programme (VRP) and the General Entertainment Authority are both working to create new attractions and recreational activities within the country,” added Curtis.

ATM, considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event, showcasing the largest exhibition in the history of the show, with hotels comprising 20% of the floor area.

Brand new for this year’s show will be the launch of Arabian Travel Week, an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows including ATM 2019, ILTM Arabia, CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa – a new route development forum and new consumer-led event ATM Holiday Shopper. Arabian Travel Week will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 27 April – 1 May 2019.

For more news about ATM, please visit: https://arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com/media-centre/Press-Releases/.

About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)

Arabian Travel Market is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2018 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, with representation from 141 countries over the four days. The 25th edition of ATM showcased over 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre.  Arabian Travel Market 2019 will take place in Dubai from Sunday, 28th April to Wednesday, 1st May 2019. To find out more, please visit: www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: NATHALIE VISELE, Director, Shamal Communications, Arjaan Office Tower, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tel: +971 4 365 2711 | Mobile: +971 50 457 6525, E-mail: [email protected] , Website: www.shamalcomms.com

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