Northstar

4 | www.travelweekly-asia.com 4 | www.travelweekly-asia.com INDUSTRY VOICES Edgar R. Vega has worked over 12 years in technology and mobile services and has extensive experience in delivering advanced solutions. Now the Commercial Head of APAC for Amadeus Mobile, he shares his four top tips for travel companies to use mobile to achieve long-term customer loyalty. 18 16 CONTENTS 3 TALKING POINT Opportunities through sports 6 TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY Into the brave new world with Yeoh Siew Hoon 8 HICAP A look at the hotel investment conference's milestones 16 DESTINATION: CENTRAL VIETNAM See the region through the eyes of three traveller types 18 DESTINATION: SINGAPORE Singapore ups its digital game 4 ways to drive trip loyalty with mobile Of late, more travellers are starting to place a higher premium on experience and convenience. The best way to guarantee their loyalty is thus by showing them that you know their preferences through personalised offers – and the ubiquity of mobile phones makes it an obvious channel for satisfying this desire for convenience. Here are my top four tips for travel companies to use mobile to achieve long-term loyalty: 'AS-NEEDED' ANCILLARIES According to Amadeus' Get Ready for Destination X study, 24% of travellers say they lack time to properly plan their in- trip experiences. This is a great opportunity for companies to better assist their customers in accessing the best ancillary services at the right time through personalised push notifications. A frictionless user experience is key; nothing will put customers off more than receiving information about services to their mobile that they can only buy via another channel. SEAMLESS DELAY MANAGEMENT AND DISASTER RECOVERY Delays happen, but how an airline or travel agent manages them can make or break customer experience, and their long-term loyalty. Beyond letting the traveller know about disruptions, businesses can leverage on mobile to provide new options and direct links to solve the problem. For flight delays this could involve pointing business travellers to the nearest Wi-Fi zone so they can work while they wait, or helping them re-book reservations. For disaster recovery, this could involve 'as it happens' advice. GET PERSONALISED Mobile phones are increasingly a communication tool – and a person's wallet, key card, map, filing cabinet and work station. As such, they present a huge opportunity for hotels and travel agents to provide inspirational and functional in-trip support. According to Amadeus' Get Ready for Destination X study, 27% of travellers report having to use multiple apps as the biggest frustration when using destination services. With a single mobile touch point such as a travel app, travel sellers can help relieve such frustrations. Personalisation needs to be based on actual traveller behaviour to be most effective. Even little things can make a big difference, so this could be as simple as remembering that a repeat hotel customer has a particular interest or dietary requirement, and tailoring recommendations accordingly. POOLSIDE PLANNING According to Amadeus' Journey of Me report, one in four APAC travellers research their next trip while on holiday. On top of using the on-trip period to share local recommendations, try inspiring them about future trips with mobile- optimised content too. Again, personalisation is key; brands should consider previous destinations that the individual has visited, their typical price points, whether they tend to prefer short or long-haul and length of stay. THE FUTURE OF LOYALTY The future of loyalty in travel will be 'mobile first'. To succeed, travel companies need to prepare their mobile channel both from a content perspective and a user experience point of view. Above: Marble Mountains holds a labyrinth of caves, grottos and stone stairwells housing art and altars. Left: Sentosa Sensoryscape will feature vessel-like structures with ambient lighting effects. Below: HICAP, a gathering of the hotel investment community 8

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