BUYER INTERVIEW
Javiny Lim, Managing Director of Quotient Travel Planner, Singapore
Q: WHICH DESTINATIONS ARE POPULAR AMONG SINGAPOREAN TRAVELLERS? Europe is popular due to the favourable exchange rate. However, increasingly sophisticated tastes mean that travellers are heading to ‘less popular’ cities for a more authentic experience. Destinations such as Verona, Parma and Sicily in Italy, Rioja and Ribera del Duero in Spain, and Vaucluse and Alpilles regions in France. Also, Central and Eastern European destinations are also gaining in popularity – Croatia, Budapest and Slovenia. Within Asia itself, Japan is going to be making a definite comeback.
Q: WHAT ARE THE KEY TRENDS AND CHALLENGES IN THE SINGAPORE OUTBOUND LUXURY TRAVEL INDUSTRY? Travellers are looking for more experiential programmes and accommodation. Big, swanky hotels are out and luxury travellers are definitely going the way of smaller properties with more character. Holidays are revolving less around sightseeing and more towards activities, be it an art experience, extended multi-day cooking programme or wine and gourmet programme.
A major challenge has been in presenting the value of holidays. A better holiday experience often requires a slowing down of the pace and concentrating on a few key destinations. For some clients, it appears like they are getting less inclusions and visiting less places, hence less value. This perception has to be changed.
Another challenge is expectation management and destination support. Affluent travellers have already visited most classic destinations
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and are looking for new places to visit. Some of these destinations may not have the accommodation quality or service levels they are used to in more developed regions (e.g. Western Europe). So on one hand we have to manage our clients’ expectations, and on the other hand, we need to communicate and educate our land partners and accommodation partners on how to try and bridge this gap.
Q: DO SINGAPOREANS TRAVEL FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPERIENCES? Yes, but for short programmes. Singaporeans are still not travelling for extended wellness programmes. For most Singaporeans, the most time they will spend at a wellness resort is a week. Singaporeans enjoy spending a detox week with a planned healthy diet, morning yoga programmes and massage/spa activities. The most common destinations are still Bali and Thailand, although the more adventurous have headed to wellness resorts in places such as Java.
Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE OTHER LUXURY TRAVEL TRENDS SUCH AS GASTRONOMY, AUTHENTIC AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR YOUR CLIENTS? Very important. Gastronomy is huge and a must within any luxury travel programme. In terms of authentic and educational experiences, it is definitely gaining in popularity. Travellers enjoy spending time in farms and learning how their wine, meat and cheese are made. The only thing stopping them is if they have to travel very far to get to these places and if the accommodation is not up to scratch. Italy is the number one destination for such experiences. Spain is slowly gaining in popularity.
THEINSIDER
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