Global Tourism Economy | Forum Growing demand for ‘fresh’ tourism offers

As the demand for global tourism continues to grow, urban areas tend to develop in response to the needs of the growing number of incoming tourists.
During a session of the Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), which concluded on Sunday, a group of panelists discussed how urban tourism consumption is shaping the region’s tourism offers.
In particular, the panelists discussed how a variety of fresh attractions, cultural objectives and new landmarks are attracting visitors, and also pointed out the important role that managers of tourist locations should play in ensuring that urban, tourism-related developments do not contribute to the deterioration of the city’s environment.
Roger Carter, member of the World Tourism Cities Federation’s expert committee, spoke about how the demand for leisure travel is expected to bring swift growth in urban tourism, which will result in both economic benefits and a reputation boost for cities.
Some of the advantages of the increasing tourism include urban regeneration and production of better services, amenities and events.
However, he stressed that such advantages would also put pressure on urban tourism resources, mentioning that travelers nowadays look for “unique, authentic experiences.”
To be an effective travel destination, the panelists shared that the attraction should have some heritage value, along with a complex infrastructure. The panel agreed that governments have a vital part to play in ensuring a city fulfils these requirements.
“Conservation […] makes more cities much more conscious of the value of their heritage and culture, and willingness to invest in those visitors as well as for residents,” said Carter in his opening speech.
Meanwhile, the panelists also discussed how the urban tourism market has become more dynamic and changed in terms of its demographic and behavioral characteristics.
Helena Egan, director of Industry Relations of Trip Advisor, revealed that according to their survey results from 40,000 consumers in 73 different markets and regions, 70 percent of the participants do not know where to travel.
“That’s a tremendous opportunity for the cities to highlight what’s best in a destination,” Egan remarked.
She added that 60 percent are looking for new experiences, noting that one can no longer rely on the fact that friendly locals and key landmarks are what visitors are seeking.
According to Egan, Australian and Indian travelers deem the minute details such as having a kettle in a hotel room as important.
She also revealed that one third of the Japanese, one fifth of Chinese and a quarter of Italian travelers choose a destination based on what they have seen on either a movie, documentary or TV series.
Egan also stated her belief that opportunities for the consumption changes and revolution is massive. However she questioned the likelihood of consumers spreading positive word of mouth as visitors’ brand loyalty is also diminishing.
“They need everything now, it needs to be fresh, needs to work and it needs to be quick. And if it isn’t, the frustration will influence their experience. They share the experiences really fast,” she said.
Another panelist, Hu Zhimin, vice president of China International Travel Service, highlighted that one of the most tremendous consumption changes for the Chinese outbound tourists is the convenience to use mobile internet, as more of them are completing payments through their phones.
“Travelers have a lot of resources and care about the internet facilities of [the] destination. And we hope destinations have these facilities to meet all the needs,” he explained.
Further, the panel stressed the importance of providing a wide variety of elements such as accommodation, transport and F&B offerings in cities, in a bid to offer a diversified and complex experience.

Flights between Macau and Yangon under consideration

During the GTEF, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam met with representatives of tourism departments from Myanmar, Hungary, Zimbabwe and France. The secretary exchanged opinions with the representatives regarding both educational and tourism cooperation. While talking to U Ohn Maung, Minister of Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar, Tam mentioned the possibility of future direct flights between Macau and Yangon. The Myanmar minister suggested the opening of direct flights between the two cities in order to make it convenient for people from both cities to enjoy each other’s culture.