Trip.com: Rebranding Macau as a leisure destination will lead to huge travel pick-up

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought tourism to a pause, as borders around the globe were shut to deter the spread of the virus. But with the government’s efforts to boost Covid-19 shots, the travel industry – particularly in the mainland – has already begun to see gradual recovery following Chinese New Year.

Yesterday, Trip.com Group held its 2021 Global Partner Summit in Macau with the theme of “Forward Together.”

As the global vaccination rates continue to rise, the group is expecting international travel will return in the near future. China alone has 1.1 billion residents that have been vaccinated.

Despite the challenges faced by the travel industry, the group has said it continues to see growth across its major business units.

Jane Sun, CEO of China’s giant global travel service provider Trip.com and subsidiary of the Trip.com group, said both domestic hotel bookings and air ticket bookings in mainland China saw double-digit growth in Q2 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. Trip.com’s global domestic hotel bookings increased by over 160% in Q3 2021 compared to Q3 2019. Cross-border air ticket bookings in Europe also saw an increase of 200% in Q3 2021 compared to the previous quarter.

The Times sat down with Sun in an exclusive interview, where the executive was confident that, despite tourism’s downturn, the health crisis has paved way for Macau to rebrand itself as a travel destination.

Macau Daily Times (MDT) ñ Macau has been conducting roadshows in the mainland to promote the city. Is it garnering attention among the residents?

Jane Sun (JS) – I think Macau has done an excellent job in becoming a very popular travel destination. The Macau government has been proactive. Trip.com works very closely with the Macau government, and also Macau airlines and hotels, so the portfolio is very well and matched. Trip.com is known to serve very high-end customers, business customers and now we are extending to young customers who have the buying power. 

I’m very excited to see [Macau] going forward – not only with an impression as a gambling city, but also a place where big conventions and MICE activities can be hosted. If in the future [the city] recovers, [it can provide] entertainment such as acrobats and concerts.

MDT – Are we seeing a continuous rise in buying power in the younger generations?

JS – My generation, we [have seen] our country grow from a very poor country to one with the second largest industry. It was promising, it was positive. The younger generation, they [grew up] under the one-child policy, so they had everything they wanted. Their buying power is much stronger. When they were young, their parents probably already took them to many countries, so they’re very brave and eager to explore. I’m just very excited for that generation. I think the buying power for that generation, and ability and the bravery they have demonstrated, is very exciting for us.

MDT – With the closure of several international borders and the recent upwards trend, what’s the expectation in domestic travel?

JS -After the Chinese New Year this year, from March to July, these five months, travel was doing very well – the recovery trend was very strong.

But in August there was an outbreak in Nanjing, and then in Fujian. Then it became a little bit difficult to do cross- state transactions. But I’m confident that the pandemic will end, and travel will [gain] some great momentum.

MDT – Going back to pre-pandemic levels, is there a long way to go?

JS – It really depends on the outbreak and our scientists in the medical field. If pandemic is well controlled, you will see this huge pick up [driven by] pent up demand. I’m heartened to see that 1.1 billion have already taken two shots. The third shot [distribution] is underway as well.

MDT – In terms of cross-border travel, how is Macau on par with some other other cities in China in terms of the customers’ travel choices?

JS – In terms of the quality Macau is offering, it’s very good. I think the quality of the product is very strong – but we need to make sure it’s very easy to get,as well as the brand. Macau has changed its image from a pure gambling city to a place where families will have great opportunities to watch shows, do sports and businesses have good meeting venues. All these are [ideas] that need to be enhanced in the business world as well as in the leisure travel customers portfolio.

MDT – Macau’s non-diversified offerings – does this attract a certain group of people?

JS – Absolutely. When I came [into the market] 10 years ago, Macau’s image was an old gaming city. Gradually, it has evolved into a global city [with the new themed-integrated resorts]. So, I think going forward, we should brand Macau not only with its casinos but also as a wonderful MICE venue just like Las Vegas.

MDT – With China’s zero Covid policy, domestic travel is on the rise. Will we see a stronger market in terms of Hong Kong-Macau?

JS – Of course. If there is no impact from Covid, many people will come to Macau from different [mainland] cities. From our data, the pent-up demand is very strong.

MDT – Are there specific offerings that Macau has in terms of the choices for users on the Trip.com platform?

JS – A couple of things: if you look at the overseas market, Macau is the only city mainland visitors can go to without having to be quarantined when they return to their hometown. That’s a huge plus. Secondly, the hotels in Macau are world-class resorts and that’s very [inviting] for a lot of visitors. Certainly for business travelers, which is again the reason why we selected Macau as our global partner meeting venue. It can host huge company events without having to break into different meeting rooms. If Macau brands itself well – keeps up its efforts in working with partners such as Trip.com – I think we’ll be able to drive a lot of business customers and leisure customers to this beautiful city.

MDT – What’s the current travel trend in the new normal?

JS – The older generation are more price sensitive. So when they go to overseas cities they prefer to travel with a group [to] feel more comfortable. The young generation, meanwhile, are very good with English. They have strong buying power, and are very good with exploring new places, so I think they will do great in a city like Macau.