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Travel and tourism professionals from Thailand and other nations made their way to Amari Bangkok for the latest edition of Travel Daily Media’s Global Summit.

With a stellar line-up of industry leaders sharing their respective insights on key trends currently impacting the industry, the Summit offered attendees an exciting look at where the industry may be headed in the not-so-distant future.

With that said, we share several significant learnings presented at the Summit in the hope that it could be valuable to you and your organisation’s further development.

The changing face of luxury in an increasingly experiential industry

To go by James Hogan’s keynote presentation, the way the world thinks about luxury has evolved significantly since the end of the pandemic.

Rather than the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous mega-opulence and excess that characterised earlier decades, today’s travellers are shifting their thinking from the material to the experiential.

Cultural immersion is key here: even beyond the run of The White Lotus and other destination-centric media productions, people are willing to pay premium prices to be part of the action or experience the local way of life for themselves in order to gain a greater understanding of a destination, as well as a more meaningful experience.

Likewise, experts are beginning to regard luxury travel with a more critical eye, especially in the context of regenerative tourism which considers the benefits the industry can have on local communities and the environment.

Branding: a worthwhile challenge to contemplate

Also, given the increasingly cutthroat competition among attractions, hospitality providers, airlines, and even tourism boards, branding has become more important of late.

But branding isn’t just about slapping a label onto a travel product or even coining a slogan for a destination: it is now a mark of a destination’s authenticity as well as the qualities that make it stand out.

In which case, a good travel or tourism brand needs to:

• Represent a truly unique and authentic value proposition;

• Be strong but not inflexible, ready to change depending on industry developments; and

• Develop trustworthiness and reliability when and where it counts.

Also, with reference to the fireside chat between TDM’s Gary Marshall and Thai Airways’ Kittiphong Sansomboon, destination managers and tourism boards need to determine if their location and its attractions are safe, fun, and worth it for those coming in for a visit.

Women more than matter in travel and tourism

At the invitational luncheon for the Inspiring Women in Travel Awards (IWTA) Asia, discussions kicked off with a couple of hard truths: that women make up the majority of the industry’s workforce, but less than 20 percent of them have made it to the highest echelons of leadership.

In which case, the importance of mentorship, sponsorship, and upskilling for women in the industry may be construed as a major game-changer.

However, as with all other industries, women in travel find themselves pondering over a critical question: Can we really have it all?

Even among top-ranking women in the industry, one of the biggest challenges involves needing to balance one’s career advancement with the needs of one’s family; and it should be noted that a number of promising leaders have needed to step back from personal advancement to deal with their familial responsibilities.

Now, is there a way by which to have it all without compromising either side?

A tug-of-war when it comes to employing the younger generation

As Gen Z comes into the age of majority, we are looking at an emergent market with its own specific roster of likes and dislikes.

The world’s first digital-native generation wants to dive into everything the world has to offer, and travel, hospitality, and tourism professionals are all listening.

At the same time, as Gen Z begins to contemplate careers, the hospitality and travel tech sectors are duking it out to get the best of young talent.

The hospitality sector, in particular, wants to be on the winning side here; after all, it has borne the brunt of the talent shortage that seriously affected travel and tourism during and immediately after the pandemic.

In which case, the sector needs to consider new strategies with which to attract and retain a new generation of hospitality professionals.

Sustainability could become a key differentiator for MICE

During the panel titled The Future of MICE and Sustainable Connectivity, panellists declared that sustainability is the key to destination appeal, as well as competitiveness and profitability.

In the context of the MICE sector, it is notable how today’s event organisers are choosing green-certified venues, as well as working partners who actively support emissions reporting and carbon offsetting, along with other environment- and community-friendly measures.

Likewise, this ties in with the global hospitality sector’s drive towards delivering a more authentic experience to guests and event participants, specifically in the firm of greener operations, as well as activities that benefit local communities whilst preserving native culture.

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