Karen Yue’s Post

The world has long acknowledged that the minds of children are like sponges, and they take lessons from the actions of people around them. So, when I started in 2015 to travel with my firstborn when he was just 10 months old, I made a conscious decision to choose my destinations and activities wisely. Together, and along with his little brother years later, we spent time in tranquil parts of Ubud, walked down quiet paths in the ancient post town of Tsumago, had picnics in Japanese castle parks, stayed in a hanok surrounded by a private Hallabong tangerine orchard in Jeju, and played at old-school amusement parks that generations of locals once loved. My family’s travel programmes are guided by a desire to go deeper into destinations, build memories on experiences we cannot find at home, and to #supportlocal businesses as much as possible. Has my travel style rubbed off on my sons? My firstborn is now nine. I took off with him in June on our first mother-and-son bonding trip to #Perth. In the planning stage, I shortlisted several activities and he marked out the must-dos: see the stars over The Pinnacles Desert, explore Fremantle Prison and learn what it was like to be a convict then, and comb through the galleries of WA Museum Boola Bardip (we eventually spent two days in this attraction!). I am proud that he prioritised learning experiences that were unique to the destination. However, I am not the only one to use travel as a teaching opportunity. In TTG Asia's September-October 2024 issue (https://lnkd.in/gSjYuakf), our analysis on the travel behaviours of millennial and Gen Z travellers (page 16) had Discova’s chief commercial officer, Rhydian James noting that millennials seek opportunities to teach and learn, not just to see, when travelling with their kids. A recent interview (https://lnkd.in/gdXG8tNj) with Silversea Cruises’ Conrad Combrink also highlights how teaching opportunities onboard expedition cruises have a direct impact on environmental #conservation efforts. Also worth noting is FINN Partners’ industry report, China’s Women in Charge, produced in association with ILTM Asia Pacific 2024, which found that women made 80 per cent of travel decisions and accounted for six out of 10 Chinese tourists in 2023. For the majority of Chinese female travellers, trips are embraced as an opportunity to challenge oneself or learn new skills. Jenny Lo, Catherine Feliciano-Chon Seeing how #travellers today prioritise unique and meaningful experiences, off-the-beaten-path places, and #sustainabletravel merchants, there is hope that these positive preferences will rub off on their offspring and catalyse responsible #travelandtourism development into the future. I hope you enjoy our latest issue!

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) concluded its annual Travel Mart in Bangkok last week, providing #travelandtourism industry members another opportunity to connect, learn from each other, and do #business together. If you were not able to attend the event this year, browse our three-day TTG Show Daily to get updates on what your colleagues were up to at the mart: https://lnkd.in/gT6yqwsT My favourite takeaways from #PATATravelMart2024 are: ★ As the wise saying goes, if you want to go fast, go alone; But if you want to go far, go together. The spirit of #collaboration is strong at PATA, as it signs MoUs with Sanya Tourism Board to strengthen tourism growth in Sanya and wider Hainan and to support coastal and island destination development; and with the World Tourism Seasonality Summit to highlight the importance of spreading out tourism demand for #sustainablegrowth. I had an interesting conversation with summit founder Gerard (Ged) B. about his views on what proper tourism dispersion looks like. Watch out for that interview coming up on TTG Asia. ★ Investment in grooming the next-gen travel and tourism professionals is gaining attention and priority, with PATA launching a #career fair at its Youth Symposium alongside PATA Travel Mart. The career fair was supported by eight recruiting organisations. During discussions at the Youth Symposium, student participants expressed both enthusiasm and concerns about their career prospects. Many are worried about work-life balance, job stability, and opportunities for personal development, highlighting opportunities for professionals to step in as #mentors and for recruiting organisations to do better in conveying career pathways and emerging roles crafted by tech advancement. #talentdevelopment #HR ★ Study the calendar and the skies to grow Chinese footfalls beyond the traditional outbound seasons, urged Michael Zhou, president of Guilin Tang Dynasty Tour. He pointed out that different provinces have their own festivals and public holidays that supplement national ones while seasonal weather patterns will make the Chinese long for better climes. In Northern #China where winters are long and painfully cold, locals yearn for summery escapes. Congratulations to Peter Semone, Noor Ahmad Hamid, Paul Pruangkarn, Aletheia Tan, Eunkyu (Nick) Chun, and everyone in PATA for another event well done!

Adventurous travellers will have more options to discover wildlife and cultures next year, as Silversea Cruises resumes its West Africa sailings and expands its fly-cruise operations to #Antarctica. The #WestAfrica programme, first developed in 2011/2012 and which took off to great success, was put on hold as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. During a chat with me, Conrad Combrink, senior vice president, expeditions, destination & itinerary management, said the marketplace has been pining for the programme's return. He described the #cruise itinerary as “unique”, granting guests access to places that are “almost impossible to get to on their own”. Read more about the #expeditions to come: https://lnkd.in/gm7A8c-n Expeditions, shared Conrad, are a valuable part of #travelandtourism's objective to do good. Expeditions not only open travellers’ eyes to different natural landscapes and cultures, they also raise awareness of the fragility of these environments and galvanise authorities towards #conservation policies and regulations. Have a look at the conversation Conrad and I shared: https://lnkd.in/gdXG8tNj #responsibletourism #cruisetourism #leadership Philippa Walker Samantha Choy

TTG Asia Media, through our titles TTG Asia and TTG Asia Luxury, was once more the regional media partner for #ILTMAsiaPacific. My team and I are so proud to be able to support this niche #luxurytravel tradeshow that is recognised among industry players as the place to meet, learn, and grow business. And boy, did I learn! ☆ Chinese female travellers are becoming bolder and more adventurous, as they make 80% of all travel decisions and account for six out of 10 outbound #Chinesetourists in 2023. You can read the FINN Partners report here https://lnkd.in/gwTEW9AU. Look out for TTG Asia Sep-Oct issue, where I find out what these observations mean for industry players. ☆ #Hoteliers are weaving #storytelling magic to better convey #sustainability achievements to customers who increasingly scrutinise such features. https://lnkd.in/gyGtrN75 ☆ The quest for immersive experiences through a slower pace of travel is feeding the rise of boutique #cruises, romantic #rail voyages, and hotel collaboration with local communities. Think of Belmond's The Eastern & Oriental Express (https://lnkd.in/g-jA-z83) and Anantara Hotels & Resorts' The Vietage in Vietnam, Loy Pela Voyage in Thailand, and the soon-to-come Boheme in Laos. More on this soon in the next TTG Asia publication! ☆ Still on the topic of travel that brings enriching experiences, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau (SCIB) and Switzerland Tourism are doing exactly this to beckon visitors across all seasons and bring them deeper into the country. They are showcasing lesser known locations and experiences in between popular cities, so that travellers can unravel more interesting layers of #Switzerland. For all ILTM Asia Pacific 2024 headlines produced by Rachel Lee and me, visit https://lnkd.in/gFbk7rCz Besides all the informative chatter, I'm also happy to meet old and new friends. May we all continue to find joy in doing what we do in #travelandtourism, and support projects that truly allow travel to be a vehicle for good. Lucy Clifton; Joleena Seah 谢敏惠; Wendy Wang; Hwee Peng Yeo; Marion Walsh-Hédouin; Walter Navarro; Faye L.; Mabel Lee; Joanna Huang

I was in the #GoldCoast last week, where I accepted gifts of champagne from sun goddesses at the new Kirra Beach House, got teased at close range by sultry fire-eaters at Miami Marketta, enjoyed the winter sun while onboard the enormous Yot Club catamaran, attempted to find the Nelly Korda in me at Topgold Gold Coast, marvelled at water stunts performed by JetPack Entertainment & Events, and dined rather well at a handsome homestead on the grounds of Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. All that seemed like an ideal holiday, but I was, in fact, on assignment to discover the Gold Coast's ability to deliver on both fun and impactful #businessevents. Those experiences were part of the This Is Gold Coast (#TIGC) business events showcase. TIGC 2024 was the 10th edition - that's 10 years of demonstrating to event planners the city's evergreen draws, its versatility, and continuous emergence of new and refreshed #destination experiences. With destination marketer Destination Gold Coast now merged into the new mega body, Experience Gold Coast, which is an amalgamation of Study Gold Coast, Major Events Gold Coast, Home of the Arts, and Placemakers, the city now holds even greater power to grow the visitor economy. One area of benefit, according to Avril Harris, executive director of events, Experience Gold Coast, is the synergies shared by business events and major events/festivals teams working together. Corporate groups meeting in the city are able to leverage one of the many festivals in the Gold Coast to enhance their social programme. Read my stories from TIGC24 here: ☆ New and improved experiences: https://lnkd.in/gj8DSGhD ☆ Gold Coast meets growing demand for responsible, low-carbon impact events: https://lnkd.in/gCmzNaAP ☆ Gold Coast takes bigger steps towards sustainable tourism development: https://lnkd.in/gW4UiWhv ☆ Warner Bros Movie World lays out the yellow brick road: https://lnkd.in/gQAqDwem Brooke Campbell; Jo Wormald #TIGC24 #eventplanners

Fancy being the next Phileas Fogg in a round-the-world adventure in 80 days? You can - and you can do it better, without heart-stopping obstacles and with guaranteed fulfilling experiences. Singapore-based 3Playtopia, a community-based travel platform in Singapore, is teaming up with 2Travelling Aunties, a globe-trotting Singaporean duo who are social media sensations, to launch a journey through 20 countries in 80 days, starting in Portugal on August 9, 2025 and concluding in Singapore. Alicia Seah, one of the founders of 3Playtopia, described the itinerary as “not a typical tour (that visits) typical destinations”. Singapore passport-holders can benefit from the strength of their passport to do this visa-free. Alicia hopes to inspire people to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world. 80 days on holiday seems like a mighty long time, but there are already keen customers, she told me. Read on to find out more: https://lnkd.in/eaxS4dVe #travelandtourism

With over 600 million #ChelseaFC fans all over the world, surely some of you may have caught wind yesterday of the club signing on Singapore-based hospitality firm, The Ascott Limited as its global hotel partner. This partnership between the majestic lion and the gallant horse will power up Ascott's ongoing push to curate and deliver unique experiences for its guests and Ascott Star Rewards loyalty club members. Ascott's top-notch experiences have so far been built on high-profile sporting events, something that Bee Leng TAN says can connect both fans and non-fans together due to their vibrant nature. You can read all about this on TTG Asia. Here are the links: ☆ https://lnkd.in/g9mUWFxb ☆ https://lnkd.in/gPY8MByv Well, lucky me was part of Ascott's demonstration of exquisite experiences this week in #London, starting with a day out at The Championships, #Wimbledon, where I caught the UK's Cameron Norrie and Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action, and found myself in merch wonderland. Two days later, I found my way into the oft-off-limits Cobham Training Centre for a crash course on football basics with Chelsea FC coaches, hung out in a luxurious cottage built by the club's former Russian owner, ate an amazing lunch crafted by the very chef who prepares nutritious meals for club players, asked Carlo Cudicini what he would have been if he didn't play football (a pilot, he said), took a behind-the-scene tour of Stamford Bridge and sat on the benches in the locker room, and then enjoyed a loud welcome in white and blue in the stands. The 40-minute football training was memorable and humbling. I swear I was tearing down the field, straining to breathe while trying my best to get my unruly ball to stick to my feet. But when I caught myself on the TV news, I looked like I was hobbling, at best! So, the next time you watch a match and is close to shouting, "my grandmother can run faster than you!" - please think of me. #travelandtourism #hospitality Ee Jin Lim ; Denice Lim

I believe a part of us never ever grows up, which is why we continue to hold our favourite childhood memories dear. Yesterday, the little girl in me got a grown-up assignment - sitting in for a briefing by Disney Cruise Line on its upcoming Singapore deployment. Buzz Lightyear, Elsa, Spiderman, Mickey and Minnie turned up too! The cruise line has been quite discreet about this - smart #marketing move to keep travel agents and #cruise fans guessing. Following its March 2023 announcement that an exclusive #Singapore homeport will be established for a new ship for at least five years starting 2025, the cruise line went on to only disclose the name of the Singapore-bound vessel - Disney Adventure - six months later. So, yesterday's presentation was quite a treat. We learnt about the seven themed areas that have been crafted for the Disney Adventure cruise ship, and that three- and four-night voyages will be conducted. The illustrated map of the themed areas looks enticing, but this reveal led to more questions: when will Disney Adventure set sail, when will bookings open and at what prices, how will the staterooms look, which ports will it call at in Asia? Again, the magic makers at Disney Cruise Line urged patience. But with the ship set to launch next year and we now have just another six months till the year-end, information can be expected more frequently. I asked Sarah Fox and Walt Disney Imagineering's Laura Sanden Cabo if enough lead time would be given for agents and Disney fans to secure their tickets on the first sailing. Both said yes. We joked that Disney Adventure may well pull a Taylor-Swift and have all staterooms snapped up in 8 hours. https://lnkd.in/gjCVxMen #DisneyCruiseAdventure #cruisetourism #travelandtourism Singapore Tourism Board #PassionMadePossible

The world doesn't yet have a bed that makes itself, but we do have high-tech kitchens that rely on smart #robots and even smarter chefs who know how to play them to their advantage. A while ago, I went on a behind-the-scene tour of Constellar / Singapore EXPO's Kinetic Kitchen, courtesy of chief culinary officer Richmond Lim and VP, brand & customer experience Khoo Yew Jin. The facility has just six machines capable of cooking for an 800-pax banquet. Richmond and his team of three chefs, and administrator, an operations staff, and a food safety officer are the brains - researching recipes ahead of time and inputting instructions into the system. The Kinetic Kitchen raises #productivity - a lean team can run #eventcatering with precision and consistent quality control. The simplicity of machine operations also allows Richmond to bring in #casuallabour without cooking experience. Furthermore, the futuristic #kitchen provides learning ground for new-gen #culinaryarts students who must eventually adapt to tech as well as other catering firms that need practical ideas for improved productivity. Read on to find out more: https://lnkd.in/gyztFY-X #eventsmanagement #eventsprof #eventvenues #conventionandexhibitions

The tourism industry in Asia is increasingly feeling the heat as #climatechange and #extremeweather conditions disrupt traditional travel patterns and operations. Many players are tweaking tours and experiences to start at different times of the day to skip the heat, so that more travellers would book and turn up. However, Kevin Phun says these changes are presenting the travel and tourism industry with a positive opportunity - read more to find out what it is as well as how companies are adapting: https://lnkd.in/g5Z7YTBv By Anne Somanas Thiam Wei Toh; Zahira Tahir; Bruce Poon Tip OC ; Ewan Cluckie #travelandtourism